SA's shocking medical malpractice crisis

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Gauteng medical negligence claims up Gauteng pays R276m for medical negligence Gauteng health dept pays R7.5m for negligence Gauteng dept tackles health issues Johannesburg - Claims lodged against the Gauteng health department due to medical negligence were increasing, the department said on Tuesday. "The reasons for such an increase in the number of claims are numerous and include - an increased awareness of rights by patients, a worldwide trend, better litigations, a legal profession that is actively touting patients in hospital wards and a concerning culture of unprofessional conduct that seems to be on the rise," the department said. The department was concerned by the increasing number of payouts, and would investigate together with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). "Given that these happen while people are performing their duties, the employer is one to respond. There are various interventions that are in place in all our facilities," the department said.The cases took a period of more than a year, and it was difficult to determine how much the department has paid until court judgments were available. "The department waits for the matters to be put on the court's roll and for all the necessary processes to be followed before it is informed if or how much should be paid out." http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Gauteng-medical-negligence-claims-up- 20150304 Hospital horrors costing SA plenty A child's penis was amputated by mistake. Babies are born brain-damaged after their mothers are not properly cared for during labour and an infant went blind after doctors failed to diagnose a problem at birth.
These are examples of the medical negligence that is costing provincial health departments millions in malpractice claims. Cases of medical negligence are increasing nationwide: The Gauteng health department is facing negligence claims amounting to R1.28-billion for the 2012/2013 financial year. In 2005, the department expressed concern about complaints of malpractice, which had led to lawsuits of R216-million in the previous five years. Eastern Cape faced claims of R876-million last year, up from R4.5-million in 2006. North West paid out R13.3-million in November for negligence at a state hospital in Witbank that resulted in a baby becoming blinded. Medical negligence attorney Adele van der Walt said she was contacted daily by people from across the country who had suffered negligence at both private and government hospitals. The most common complaint, say lawyers, is about babies born with cerebral palsy, a form of brain damage that often occurs when mothers have difficulty giving birth. Some 68 of the 86 claims against Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto are for babies who have cerebral palsy. DA Gauteng health spokesman Jack Bloom said the provincial department should prevent lengthy and costly legal battles by settling cases in which its hospitals were clearly in the wrong. He said judges were awarding much higher amounts to victims than six years ago. Lawyer Karen Vermaak said babies suffered brain damage because of poor monitoring of women in labour. If nurses did not detect a baby was in distress and react fast enough, the infant was deprived of oxygen. Much negligence in both the private and public sectors was caused by nurses' poor training and attitudes. Van der Walt said under-qualified nurses were working in intensive care units in private hospitals. "Sometimes there is only one specialised nurse monitoring four babies, instead of one." Van der Walt was approached this week by a woman who had given birth in a private hospital in Gauteng a month ago. "The patient had told the nurse: 'My water broke. I am in labour.' The nurse would not help her despite the mother insisting she was having contractions. Eventually she stood up and the baby fell onto the floor, hitting his head. It is too early to determine whether there is brain damage." The spokesman for the Gauteng health department, Simon Zwane, said: "Considering the number of 200000 babies born in the province annually, the number of claims arising on what is alleged to be negligent behaviour is minimal."
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SA's shocking medical malpractice crisis

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