Health Department Loses R1.1 Billion in Medical Claims, Eastern Cape the Highest Numbers

• The Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi revealed that the Department of Health spend over R1.1 million in medico-legal claims in 2024
• The Eastern Cape recorded the highest number of medico-legal claims with 1131 claims
• South Africans were angered by the numbers, and some believed that the figure would increase in 2025

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE —The Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, revealed that the Health Department lost over R1,1 billion in medico-legal claims in 2024.

How many medico-legal claims were made?

According to IOL, Motsoaledi was responding to a parliamentary question Democratic Alliance Member of Parliament Michele Clarke asked. He revealed that the department lost R1,106,972,117.65. Medico-legal claims in Gauteng amounted to R421 million, while the Eastern Cape recorded R306 million in medico-legal claims. A total of 1132 medico-legal claims were made in the Eastern Cape, the highest in the country.

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Motsoaledi further revealed that the figure stood at an astounding R6.1 billion between 2019 and 2023. About 277 cases have been paid in full or partly, and some payments were directed towards services and equipment in the provinces. Motsoaledi added that 201 claims involved children.

Of these, 174 were claims for neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy, 17 were claims involving child deaths, five involved maternal deaths, two involved child blindness, two involved child injuries and one involved a child contracting bacterial meningitis.

Claims are a result of errors

Motsoaledi remarked that a large number of the obstetric cerebral palsy may arise from factors including a failure by healthcare professionals to adhere to medical guidelines, insufficient training, inadequate monitoring and limited resources. A total of 38 medical claims involving mismanagement and misdiagnosis of patients were also made.

What Motsoaledi recently said

In March, Motsoaledi said that South Africa will survive without funds from the United States of America. This was after the US government cut funding for the United States Agency for International Development after president Donald Trump assumed office as the United States president.

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Motsoaledi also announced that the department will employ 1,200 doctors thanks to the new R1.78 billion budget made available to employ healthcare professionals. He said the department realised the urgency in employing doctors.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on IOL's Facebook page believed that this year's medico-legal claims would rack up a higher amount.

Emmie Maritz said:

"Hold my coffee. In 2025, the figures are going to double. Simply because Healthcare professionals in SA are allowed to be registered undertakers."

Jane Clerk said:

"It's going to be worse when you pull private healthcare down to public healthcare level."

Tumelo Blessednation Mathopa said:

"Medico-legal costs will be R17 billion in 2027. Why? Because the Department of Health claims it doesn't have money for overtime of medical officers who have been trained well and are experienced."

Marius Miller said:

"It will only increase if managed by ANC cadres."

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Jabulani AmenRa Mthombeni said:

"It has to go up because you and your government don't make enough budget to employ healthcare professionals."

Motsoaledi, Ramaphosa distance themselves from ANC NHI deal

In a related article, Briefly News reported that The Presidency and Motsoaledi distanced themselves from a deal the Democratic Alliance allegedly struck with the African National Congress. Minister in the Presidency Maropene Ramokgopa reportedly agreed that the National Health Insurance Act's section 33 would be amended.

Motsoaledi said he knew nothing about the deal that the two parties struck. He added that medical aids would not be phased out because of the National Health Insurance.

Source: Briefly News