PREMIER MUST PAY ANOTHER HUGE MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE PAYOUT

Last week on Friday (20 April) the South Gauteng High Court granted an order by agreement between the parties for a payout of R11  620 663 for the brain injury suffered by 8-year-old Ntokozo Skhosana at the Far East Rand Hospital on 9 March 2004.

Notokozo suffers from cerebral palsy, and has a paralysed left arm diagnosed as Erbs Palsy (Erb-Duchenne Palsy is a paralysis of the arm caused by injury to the upper group of the arm's brachial plexus nerves, when the shoulders get stuck and are pulled with force through the birth canal).

According to lawyer Gary Austin, summons was issued against the Premier of Gauteng and the MEC for Health on 17 Dec 2009.  The matter was defended.  The case came up for trial to determine the negligence issue in April 2011.  On the morning of the trial, the merits were conceded.  The matter was then set down for the hearing of the quantum on 19 April 2012, and finalised the next day.

This is the fourth huge payment that Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane has to make this year because of medical negligence. Other cases are:

Prince Khanyi who was brain-damaged at birth at Pholosong Hospital - R9.25 million

Mr Shabbier Nagel who had a leg amputated when he went for heart surgery at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital - R6.25 million

Tanya Khumbula who was brain-damaged during birth at the Edenvale Hospital - R12 million

This totals R39 million, and more claims can be expected. It highlights the poor health service in Gauteng and the urgent need to fix up our hospitals so that medical tragedies are averted and the health budget not drained further by negligence lawsuits.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, April 22 2012

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