We saved millions by settling out of court, says Gauteng health department

The Gauteng health department says it has saved up to R10m on medico-legal cases by settling disputes out of court.

According to Kwara Kekana, spokesperson for MEC Bandile Masuku, this amount excluded the legal costs and costs of acquiring medical experts that could have been incurred through litigation had these cases not been mediated.

“The mediation process has proven to be one of the most successful factors in reducing cases of medical negligence and reducing the contingent liability thus far,” Kekana said in a statement. The mediation strategy was implemented in October 2019.

“Mediation resumed in February for the year 2020 and the department has since mediated seven more matters in February. The status of each case will be outlined once the administration process is concluded. The department has mediated a total of 13 matters since October to date,” she said.

Kekana said that the department’s reputation was being restored as the complainants felt valued by the mediation team and process.

“Not only did the department save on the capital amount, it is also important to note that the greatest savings were on litigation costs which would have accumulated through the years even before the matter had gone to court,” she added.