Department of Justice employees injured on duty may no longer make use of Border-Kei Life Hospitals following non-payment or delayed payment of medical debt.
Frustrated employees who injured themselves on duty told the Daily Dispatch yesterday how they had been rejected by private East London hospitals.
The blacklist was confirmed yesterday by Bruce Janssens, regional manager of Life Hospitals in the Border-Kei and Port Elizabeth regions.
Janssens, who did not say when the decision was taken or if money was still owed to the hospitals, said Life Hospitals in the region had to blacklist the department over the non-payment or delayed payment of injury-on-duty accounts.
He said the decision was communicated verbally and in writing. “At all Life Healthcare hospitals, the wellbeing of our patients is always our primary concern. In serious trauma cases, the patient will be attended to and stabilised regardless of whether the relevant government department’s account is in good standing or not.
“Once stabilised, the patient will be transferred to the nearest provincial hospital for further treatment if required.”
Justice department employees who have been injured in car accidents while on duty have found themselves rejected at Life Hospitals and had their files there suspended.
Speaking to the Dispatch this week, magistrate’s court employees said they had to go to public hospitals as their medical aid schemes had also refused to pay for injury-on-duty cases.
One employee, who asked not to be named as he was not allowed to speak to the media, said he was involved in a serious car accident in 2012 and was first rushed to Life Beacon Bay before being taken to Frere Hospital.
He said he still received calls from Life demanding he pay an account from that time.
Nobathembu Masingata, who works at the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court, said she faced a similar problem. “I was involved in a car accident and am limping because of my right dislocated hip, and I have a bad scar on my nose. I am still experiencing problems after the accident.
“When I go to the private hospitals I can’t even get help with my medical aid, as I am told that I need to pay that accident debt before they can help me, and I don’t have the money.”
No reply to questions sent to Department of Justice spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga had been received at the time of writing.
The department of labour said it would only be able to respond to questions today. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Hospital ban on public servants
Frustrated employees who injured themselves on duty told the Daily Dispatch yesterday how they had been rejected by private East London hospitals.
The blacklist was confirmed yesterday by Bruce Janssens, regional manager of Life Hospitals in the Border-Kei and Port Elizabeth regions.
Janssens, who did not say when the decision was taken or if money was still owed to the hospitals, said Life Hospitals in the region had to blacklist the department over the non-payment or delayed payment of injury-on-duty accounts.
He said the decision was communicated verbally and in writing. “At all Life Healthcare hospitals, the wellbeing of our patients is always our primary concern. In serious trauma cases, the patient will be attended to and stabilised regardless of whether the relevant government department’s account is in good standing or not.
“Once stabilised, the patient will be transferred to the nearest provincial hospital for further treatment if required.”
Justice department employees who have been injured in car accidents while on duty have found themselves rejected at Life Hospitals and had their files there suspended.
Speaking to the Dispatch this week, magistrate’s court employees said they had to go to public hospitals as their medical aid schemes had also refused to pay for injury-on-duty cases.
One employee, who asked not to be named as he was not allowed to speak to the media, said he was involved in a serious car accident in 2012 and was first rushed to Life Beacon Bay before being taken to Frere Hospital.
He said he still received calls from Life demanding he pay an account from that time.
Nobathembu Masingata, who works at the Mdantsane Magistrate’s Court, said she faced a similar problem. “I was involved in a car accident and am limping because of my right dislocated hip, and I have a bad scar on my nose. I am still experiencing problems after the accident.
“When I go to the private hospitals I can’t even get help with my medical aid, as I am told that I need to pay that accident debt before they can help me, and I don’t have the money.”
No reply to questions sent to Department of Justice spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga had been received at the time of writing.
The department of labour said it would only be able to respond to questions today. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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