The Eastern Cape Health Department is facing legal challenges amounting to a staggering R14bn.
That's according to Eastern Cape government spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, who said "lawyers have literally invaded all hospitals searching for people who may have been treated unfairly."
He said patients are "being touted and pursued to lodge claims against the Department."
Kupelo said the Eastern Cape government needed to "clean the administration" and ensure that it accelerated service delivery.
Kupelo said Eastern Cape Premier, Phumulo Masualle, called for decisive action against what he described as "lazy and disrespectful civil servants" and "weak and indecisive managers" at a meeting Thursday in East London seven labour unions participating in the Provincial Bargaining Chamber.
Kupelo said Premier Masualle called for "drastic action against these civil servants to speed up service delivery and improve efficiencies."
"We are also mindful of the fact that people are tired of lip service, they want action. So, it's important for us to achieve that goal, it's important that they (unions and managers) find one another. The labour force is very important to us. Government managers must do what is right and ensure that those who are entitle to benefits they get those benefits without having to fight for them or even go to court," Kupelo said.
He said Premier Masualle had noted that members of the public had demonstrated their dissatisfaction with service delivery when they cast their ballots in the Municipal Elections.
