The Limpopo MEC for Health will have to pay a family more than R860,000 after a woman fell pregnant within a year of a doctor tying her fallopian tubes, says a report in The Star.
Daniel and Henrietta Mowela said in papers before the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) that the doctor never told them there was a chance that they could conceive another child. Nor were they warned to use alternative methods of contraception as a precaution. Henrietta fell pregnant a year later and gave birth to a son. The couple said that due to the negligence of the doctor in not giving them a full explanation, they have to incur additional costs to maintain their youngest son.
According to the report, they claimed R10m for the legal obligation of maintaining their child until the age of 21. The mother claimed a further R300,000 in damages for the pain and suffering following her unexpected pregnancy and the birth. However, the MEC agreed to pay the couple R769,756 for the maintenance of their son and R100 000 to the woman for pain and suffering.
[link url="http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-star-early-edition/20150303/281732677944110/TextView"]Full report in The Star[/link]