Legal Articles and Guides
Mother awarded R540 000 for child's cerebral palsy
The Mpumalanga MEC for Health has to pay a mother R540 000 in damages after her baby boy was born with cerebral palsy due to the negligence of the staff at a government hospital.
Joy and sorrow as paediatric surgeon acquitted
Renowned paediatric surgeon Professor Peter Beale's acquittal on murder and fraud charges has been met with mixed reactions as healthcare professionals who previously expressed their concerns with the case celebrated the outcome, while the parents whose children lost their lives were left devastated.
Local oncology firm wins patent fight
The University of California’s (UC) governing board has suffered a legal setback in SA after the Court of the Commissioner of Patents revoked its patent over a lucrative life-extending prostate cancer drug.
Slow uptake of R2m case management system
Only two of the nine provinces are using a system the government spent close to R2m on to help provincial Health Departments with the case management of medico-legal claims.
Minister files papers opposing NHI challenge
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has come out guns blazing against Solidarity’s legal challenge to the National Health Insurance Act, arguing that the trade union’s case is devoid of merit and reflects its ‘discriminatory and elitist ethos’.
Bogus Cape Town doctor jailed
A bogus Cape Town doctor was sentenced in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court yesterday.
Oceana Group distances itself from Lucky Star saga
The Oceana Group, which owns the Lucky Star tinned fish brand, yesterday refuted claims that counterfeit canned pilchards discovered during a police raid in Daleside, Gauteng, last week belong to the company.
Discovery Life seeks to recover R16m ‘depression’ claim
Discovery Life instituted action seeking to recover R16m it paid to a man who claimed that he was permanently unable to work due to depression.
Proclamation to regulate spaza shops approved
President Cyril Ramaphosa says a proclamation to regulate spaza shops has been approved and will be spearheaded by the Department of Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs (Cogta) to address the growing scourge of food-borne illnesses and deaths across the country.
State has no idea how to fund NHI
‘The latest announcement that the National Health Insurance (NHI) could be funded through the use of funds from the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) shows that the government still has no idea how the scheme will be funded, which is untenable.’
Mother locks horns with medical aid scheme
Two years after Medihelp was slapped with an order from the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) forcing it to cover the cost of treatment for an Alberton boy with a rare inherited genetic condition, the medical aid scheme is still fighting to avoid having to pay up and now wants the court to reconsider its decision.
Agreement to blacklist child maintenance defaulters
With 70% of parents defaulting on child maintenance in the first two years of a court order, the Department of Justice and the Social Justice Foundation are going ahead with a plan to blacklist defaulters with credit bureaus.
DA wins NHI Cabinet tussle
The DA won its first battle in the Cabinet last Friday when President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) be postponed for further negotiations.
Another complaint against Headache Clinic doctor
A complaint has been filed at the Health Professionals Council of SA (HPCSA) against Dr Elliot Shevel (81) who was suspended last week following the deaths of two patients – one in June, and the other in 2021.
