The Democratic Alliance is deeply concerned following the protest staged this morning outside the Eastern Cape Legislature by Thobeka Priscilla Jantjies of Jeffrey’s Bay.
Jantjies has been paralysed since undergoing a tooth extraction at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in 2002. She travelled to Bhisho today to highlight her long-standing struggle and her call for proper resolution and care.
We have listened to her plea and will be submitting parliamentary questions to the MEC for Health, Ntandokazi Capa. This will allow us to establish the facts of her case and the Department’s handling of it.
Jantjies’ protest once again highlights the plight of individuals who have been failed by the Department. She has been waiting 24 years to get finality.
The ongoing medico-legal crisis facing the Department, particularly high-value negligence claims involving long-term future medical costs, has created enormous pressure on the provincial budget. Reportedly, the medico-legal contingent liability now exceeds R40 billion.
When these liabilities mature into settlements or court orders, the impact is often borne directly by the Department’s operational budget, with serious consequences for staffing, medicine procurement, equipment replacement, and the overall quality of healthcare delivery. This, in turn, impacts the quality of care, exposing the Department to additional negligence claims.
The DA will continue to hold the MEC and the Department accountable and demand urgent action to address this crisis so that vital health resources are returned to where they belong, caring for the people of the Eastern Cape.