The Bhisho legislature has been told that Eastern Cape Health is on the verge of collapse and has been paralysed by medico-legal claims worth R4bn in the past financial year, reports Daily Dispatch.
ANC MPL Mzoleli Mrara while tabling the legislature’s Portfolio Committee Report on the Office of the Premier during a virtual house sitting yesterday, said “The Department of Health is paralysed because of a deficit of R4bn due to medico-legal claims. The provincial government must address the issues of the Department of Health, especially the medico-legal claims, so that the budget of the department may be directed to fulfil the department’s core mandate.”
In a second report, tabled at the legislature last week, committee chair Mxolisi Dimaza revealed that a number of programmes in the Health Department were being compromised because funds had to be redirected to pay for the unfunded medico-legal claims. The health report revealed that the provincial hospital services programme overspent by R398m, “due to medico-legal claims which result in service delivery being compromised”, while the health facilities management programme underspent by R478m, also due to payments of medico-legal claims.
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Eastern Cape health department paralysed by R4bn in legal claims
See also in MedicalBrief archives:
Eastern Cape Health: R920m in negligence payouts and R4bn in unpaid bills
Eastern Cape Health: R3.8bn in unpaid bills and R37bn in legal claims
SIU finds legal practitioner corruption in negligence claims; Mkhize wants 'no-fault' fund
Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape face R10.9bn in medical negligence claims