Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by David Masoeu MPL and Afrikaans soundbite by Dulandi Leech MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is concerned about the staggering R5.7 billion in outstanding medical-legal claims against the Provincial Department of Health reported by the Auditor-General (AG) for the 2024/25 financial year. These are claims linked to medical negligence and malpractice in Free State hospitals and clinics.
We have submitted questions to the MEC for Health, Mr Mahlatsi, seeking for clarity and accountability on the medical-legal claims against the Department.
The amount of outstanding claims places significant pressure on an already strained fiscus and has devastating consequences for the delivery of healthcare services across the province. Funds that should be directed towards critical service delivery, addressing the shortage of ambulances, filling vacant medical posts, and improving patient care, are instead being diverted to settle claims that could have been avoided.
The increase in outstanding claims between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 period is indicative of the department’s failure to meaningfully address issues within the department. The AG flagged severe leadership challenges as well as financial and performance challenges. These failures are a direct result of the ANC’s poor leadership style and another example of their inability to bring cadres to order.
The only sustainable way to address these challenges, especially in specialised sectors such as healthcare, is to ensure that appointments are merit-based, with the most qualified and capable individuals entrusted with positions of authority.
The DA remains concerned about the Department’s transparency and its willingness to confront issues.
The DA will continue to pressure the department to ensure that a tangible plan is put in place to address outstanding medical claims, reduce future frivolous healthcare costs, and prioritise and improve service delivery.