Mother awarded R540 000 after negligence leads to child’s cerebral palsy

THE Mpumalanga MEC for Health has to pay a mother R540 000 in damages after her baby boy was born with cerebral palsy due to the negligence of the staff at a government hospital in the province.

- ZELDA VENTER

The mother initially claimed R4 million in damages before the Mpumalanga High Court, which was sitting in Mbombela. Her child had, meanwhile, died at the age of six, and the mother only claimed general damages on behalf of herself for the hardships she had to endure while looking after the child until his death.

The court earlier ruled that the provincial health authority was liable for 90% of the damages the mother could prove she had suffered.

The mother blamed the fact that her son was born with brain damage on the negligence of the medical personnel at the Embhuleni hospital.