Gauteng health department staff having to sit on floor after Sheriff attaches furniture: DA

Staff at the head office of the Gauteng Health Department are sitting on the floor without desks‚ chairs and computers because the Sheriff of the Court has removed two truckloads of furniture to force payment of R6.2-million for medical negligence.

This is according to the Democratic Alliance’s Gauteng health spokesman‚ Jack Bloom. He said the Sheriff took the furniture last week on Thursday from four floors of the Bank of Lisbon building in inner city Johannesburg.

The action was brought by O Joubert Attorneys acting on behalf of a child who suffered brain damage when she was born at the Pholosong Hospital in December 2009‚ Bloom said.

“The court ordered payment on March 8 this year‚ but the department has not paid even though the attorney offered an agreement to pay in instalments.”

He said the writ of attachment listed 400 desks‚ 600 chairs‚ 400 computers‚ 200 filing cabinets‚ 50 printers‚ 10 fridges‚ 10 microwaves and 3 lounge suites.

“It is a terrible injustice that this case has dragged on for more than 7 years‚ with further suffering for the child and her family‚ and now the department delays further.

“I am appalled that the department has yet again disregarded a court-ordered payment‚ which has led to attachment of furniture that is crippling the work of head office staff‚” Bloom said.