R4bn in claims put department on brink
The Bhisho legislature has been told that the Eastern Cape Health Department is on the verge of collapse and has been paralysed by R4bn worth of medico-legal claims in the past financial year.
A Daily Dispatch report says this revelation was made by ANC MPL Mzoleli Mrara while tabling the legislature’s Portfolio Committee Report on the Office of the Premier during a virtual house sitting yesterday.
‘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.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
