I am happy to report that we have finally cleared a backlog of payments amounting to more than R35 million and restored healthy working relationships with the hospital and doctors responsible for treating City employees who have sustained injuries or diseases on duty.
This includes frontline workers like JMPD officers who are injured in the line of duty and require medical treatment. This amount was brought to my attention when I came into office in December 2021, with major hospitals threatening to cut off treatment to City employees unless outstanding payments were settled.
Our investigations found outstanding approved claims from the Compensation Claims Commissioner dating back about eight years. In September 2021, the City had been put on terms to clear historic debt with Milpark Hospital of over R30 million, but the mounting debt had not reduced much by December.
By March, we had cleared a significant amount with Milpark, and by the end of June 2022, we had finally cleared all outstanding settlement payments that were inherited in December. I am pleased to report that the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (COID) Unit is honouring the 90-day payment timeframe for new approved claims.
I believe that we have rebuilt a strong relationship with hospitals like Milpark and would like to thank my colleague, Cllr David Tembe, the MMC for Public Safety, who accompanied me on a visit with the management of this leading hospital to discuss how we can minimise workplace injuries and improve on compensating permanently disabled employees who are in a financially dire situation. Many of our injured employees are the sole breadwinners of their families who must rely on a pension that does not always cover the costs of their medication and related medical consumables.
We are proud to contribute to Executive Mayor Mpho Phalatse’s priority of ensuring that we work towards creating a caring city that protects its employees who are on the front line of service delivery, and who regularly put their lives on the line to protect residents.
I must give special thanks to the team who worked so hard to ensure that we get this problem resolved: Ntombikayise Sithole and Jimmy Maluleke, as well as the Acting Group Executive Director for Group Corporate and Shared Services (GCSS), Dr Hennie Labuschagne.
Media enquiries:
McKinnley Mitchell
Communications and Stakeholder Manager
Office of the MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services
McKinnleyM@Joburg.org.za | 078 800 3047
18/07/2022
