Despite boasting the lowest population in South Africa (just 1m people), the Northern Cape is facing medical negligence claims of R2.1bn – made up of 93 active cases, mostly involving birth injuries resulting in cerebral palsy, admitted Health MEC Maruping Lekwene.
Lekwene was speaking at the tabling of the 2023/24 financial year budget last week, reports News24.
Spokesperson for the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) Sbongiseni Delihlazo apportioned some of the blame to the shortage of healthcare workers, saying this was a serious challenge and that “not dealing with this is self-defeating as the government gets punished with medico-legal cases”.
Although the Health Department was allocated R6.1bn for the 2023/24 financial year, an increase of 3.7% compared with the budget tabled in the last financial year, Lekwene said this made no provision for wage increases and general salary adjustments for inflation, and that no vacant posts are being funded.
One of the department’s goals for the next financial year is to re-integrate people with disabilities into society, encompassing patients needing, among other things, artificial limbs and body bracing.
Provincial teams are to provide monthly outreach services to identified cases.
“This service was lacking because of a shortage of professional staff, but three such people have since been appointed,” he said.
Additionally, R5.3m had been set aside to procure assistive devices.
He said long-waiting theatre times had impacted prolonged hospital stays and increased inter-facility transfers.
To reduce the surgical backlogs, the department has conducted 120 cases during the surgical marathon between May and June this year. A joint public and private collaboration has been initiated, and the impact will be closely monitored as the programme progresses.
On the issue of cancer treatment, Lekwene said access to oncology services remained a significant challenge because of patients presenting at an advanced stage for treatment.
An amount of R106m had been earmarked, through a conditional grant, to fund a radiation therapy centre at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, while also in the budget was money for new mortuaries in Kuruman and the Frances Baard districts.
He said R137m had been allocated to healthcare support services and, from this budget, a specialised forensic medical service accounted for R49m.
“Four body fridges have also been procured for the Kimberley and Postmasburg mortuaries.”
News24 article – Northern Cape faces R2.1 billion in medical negligence claims (Restricted access)
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