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Eastern Cape Woman Alleges Health Department Reneged on R500,000 Promise

Priscila Tobeka Jantjies, a resident of the Eastern Cape, claims the provincial Department of Health failed to honour a long-standing R500,000 “humanitarian” payment promised after she became disabled following complications from a routine tooth extraction. The case has garnered national attention and reignited debate over healthcare accountability and medico-legal claims in South Africa.

🦷 What Happened?

In 2002, Jantjies had a tooth removed at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital. She asserts the procedure resulted in immediate and severe complications, including loss of consciousness, paralysis, loss of vision and speech difficulties. She remains largely bedridden and disabled to this day.

In 2013, the Eastern Cape Department offered R500,000 on humanitarian grounds as a “full and final settlement”, without admitting liability . However, the transfer was never formalised. Jantjies’s husband was expected to sign the agreement, but he passed away before this could be finalised. Now, two decades later, she remains waiting.

Eastern Cape Woman
Eastern Cape Woman

Health Department’s Position

The Department of Health, led by Minister Joe Phaahla, maintains there is no proven medical link between the tooth extraction and Jantjies’s disabilities. It provided only one inconclusive medical report from 2005 :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. The R500,000 offer, they argue, was made without admission of fault and is “conditional”, meaning it could be rescinded.

Despite this, Minister Phaahla recently stated that the department will contact Jantjies to complete the payment by the end of October—again on humanitarian grounds :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}. The move comes amid public pressure that included Jantjies spending a night protesting outside government offices in Bhisho.

Eastern Cape has one of the highest volumes of medico-legal claims in South Africa. Disputes over lump-sum payouts have burdened provincial health budgets, often delaying services or hospital payments :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. Nationally, contingent liabilities from such claims stand at around R77 billion—up from R70 billion in 2018 :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.

The province recently won a court ruling allowing it to shift from lump-sum payments to direct medical care in negligence cases, potentially easing financial strain

Social and Economic Impact on Jantjies

The delay has placed Jantjies in dire financial straits. She remains bedridden, reliant on constant medical attention. In the early stages, the Vodacom Foundation built her an RDP home in Jeffreys Bay and offered her a cellphone store—but these efforts have been hindered by her ongoing health challenges :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}.

“They are just waiting for me to die,” she told News24, highlighting her sense of abandonment by the system :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}.

  • Precedent for humanitarian payouts: While non-admission offers are common in medico-legal settlements, the failure to formalise them opens a legal grey area.
  • Budgetary pressures: Provinces like Eastern Cape are under pressure to manage finances while facing large claims. The trend towards medical instead of financial settlements may alleviate some burden :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}.
  • Public trust: The case underscores widespread mistrust in public healthcare systems weighed down by bureaucratic delays and disputes.

What Happens Next?

If the department does finalise the R500,000 payment, it could mark the end of Jantjies’s two-decade-long fight—though questions remain about accountability. Critics argue that without formal liability, there is no assurance of fairness for future patients.

On the other hand, if the payment is delayed or blocked, Jantjies could pursue legal action based on her original R4.3 million claim. However, such a lawsuit may take years and further strain an already fragile system.

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This post By News 24

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