Premier Nomvula Mokonyane’s office has been visited by the sheriff of the court again – this time in a bid to settle a bill of more than R6 million owed to a patient who lost a leg while in a public hospital.
On Friday, a Pretoria sheriff arrived at the office of Gauteng’s first citizen to attach her goods with the intention of selling them at a public auction to recoup the money.
But the premier’s office averted this by giving the sheriff an undertaking that the R6.2 million order would be settled by Friday. The government is also expected to pay an additional R320 000 in interest because of the payment delay.
On September 5, the Pretoria High Court ordered that the province pay R6.2 million to Shabbier Nagel, who went to Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria for heart surgery but woke up and found his leg had been amputated.
The Premier’s Office reneged on the order.
DA caucus leader Jack Bloom was on Sunday outraged about the agreement, saying the additional amount could have been saved if there had been prompt payment.
“It is really shameful that the premier has delayed in paying yet another court order until the sheriff arrived at her office to attach furniture. Mokonyane should fire her incompetent legal advisers,” Bloom said.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng government is still appealing a Johannesburg High Court decision that ordered it to pay 12-year-old Prince Sibusiso Khanyi medical damages of R9.25m. The boy was born brain damaged at Pholosong Hospital, and the high court ruled that his condition was due to hospital negligence.
Gauteng health spokesman Simon Zwane was unable to state how many lawsuits were faced by the government.
In July last year, the department told the provincial public accounts committee that it was faced with 101 medical-legal claims totalling R235m.
The claims were for alleged negligence at Gauteng public hospitals.
At the time, it was reported that Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto topped the list of negligent cases against it. It was followed by Steve Biko Academic.
According to the figures given, Chris Hani Baragwanath faced 26 claims totalling R22.8m.
A total of 17 cases were for claims of brain damage and cerebral palsy in newborn babies.
Steve Biko faced 12 claims totalling R16m.
Other hospitals faced with claims were:
- Tembisa Hospital – nine cases totalling R30.6m.
- Kalafong Hospital – eight cases totalling R21.9m.
- Natalspruit Hospital – six cases totalling R24m.
- Leratong Hospital – five cases totalling R13.5m.
- Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital – five cases totalling R5.1m.
Included in the lawsuit against George Mukhari Academic Hospital was R1.5m for a patient whose right ear was operated on instead of the left.
The hospital also faced a R100 000 suit for “a patient who was injected with a cleaning solution into her spine and died instantly”.
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital had four cases totalling R38.9m. The hospital had the highest negligence claim, of R20m, after a patient suffered physical and mental injuries during a surgery. - The Star