There were 12 files missing in the motor vehicle accidents' file office at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto but none of the staff members reported this to management.
This has led the Gauteng department of health to believe that there is a syndicate stealing patients' files and colluding with law firms to claim money meant for victims of the Road Accident Fund.
MEC Qedani Mahlangu said yesterday a victim had become concerned after he received a call from a "tout" asking for additional information from him.
The patient was admitted to Bara in June following a car crash that left him unconscious. The call from the tout rang the alarm of a syndicate last week.
"The patient wanted to know who this person was and why he had his hospital file. He kept on coming back to the hospital but the hospital did not have the file.
The hospital only found out on Saturday that the file was with the tout," Mahlangu said.
She said the tout and a female accomplice were arrested on Saturday and have appeared in court.
The female suspect was found in possession of four files at a party on Saturday night. She was to get a fifth file from the tout when they were arrested.
The female suspect has since been suspended by Alexander Forbes.
Mahlangu said the patient was badly injured.
"The gentleman who helped us to get around this matter was extremely injured ... And I think they (the syndicate) target people who are badly injured, with spine problems, head and whatever else.
"So, they select the files very carefully. They do not just take any file," Mahlangu said.
She said the staff has indicated that there were seven files missing.
"There could be more. We are going to take swift action against our staff members who are managing file patient records. It can't be correct that a patient's record ends up on someone's (car) boot ... and our staff members have not reported this to management."
She said no one was allowed to take a patient's file from the hospital premises, adding that she would be writing to companies providing security at the hospital to ask them to close all loopholes.
"My sense is this is not confined here only. It could be a widespread across the province. If any of our employees are involved, action will be taken," Mahlangu said.
mashabas@sowetan.co.za
Is a syndicate busy at Bara? Missing files a plan to defraud patients
There were 12 files missing in the motor vehicle accidents' file office at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto but none of the staff members reported this to management.
This has led the Gauteng department of health to believe that there is a syndicate stealing patients' files and colluding with law firms to claim money meant for victims of the Road Accident Fund.
MEC Qedani Mahlangu said yesterday a victim had become concerned after he received a call from a "tout" asking for additional information from him.
The patient was admitted to Bara in June following a car crash that left him unconscious. The call from the tout rang the alarm of a syndicate last week.
"The patient wanted to know who this person was and why he had his hospital file. He kept on coming back to the hospital but the hospital did not have the file.
The hospital only found out on Saturday that the file was with the tout," Mahlangu said.
She said the tout and a female accomplice were arrested on Saturday and have appeared in court.
The female suspect was found in possession of four files at a party on Saturday night. She was to get a fifth file from the tout when they were arrested.
The female suspect has since been suspended by Alexander Forbes.
Mahlangu said the patient was badly injured.
"The gentleman who helped us to get around this matter was extremely injured ... And I think they (the syndicate) target people who are badly injured, with spine problems, head and whatever else.
"So, they select the files very carefully. They do not just take any file," Mahlangu said.
She said the staff has indicated that there were seven files missing.
"There could be more. We are going to take swift action against our staff members who are managing file patient records. It can't be correct that a patient's record ends up on someone's (car) boot ... and our staff members have not reported this to management."
She said no one was allowed to take a patient's file from the hospital premises, adding that she would be writing to companies providing security at the hospital to ask them to close all loopholes.
"My sense is this is not confined here only. It could be a widespread across the province. If any of our employees are involved, action will be taken," Mahlangu said.
mashabas@sowetan.co.za
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