Gauteng faces R235m worth of claims

These claims are due to alleged negligence at various public hospitals that resulted in the deaths of or injury to patients - and Bara is the worst

THE Gauteng health department last year revealed that it was facing 101 legal claims totalling R235-million.

These claims are due to alleged negligence at various public hospitals that resulted in the deaths of or injury to patients.

Soweto's Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital, the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere, tops the list with 26 claims worth R22.8-million.

Seventeen of these claims are due to alleged negligence leading to brain damage and cerebral palsy in newborn babies.

The highest claim at Chris Hani-Baragwanath is for R5-million for damages following the "death of a patient after treatment of a toothache and abscess in the gum".

The second highest number of claims is against Pretoria's Steve Biko Academic Hospital, with 12 claims totalling R16m, including a R4-million claim for allegedly stopping life support without the consent of next-of-kin, and a R2-million claim after a "wrong eye was operated on, resulting in blindness".