Chair, the estimation is almost
R100 billion; it is not even R1 million. Nevertheless, I just wish the other hon members would focus on the issue in the way that you have done, where we just deal with a problem as a problem and not try to create too much political point-scoring on an issue that is endemic in the system that you must deal with.
Thank you for the support of the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum. I still have to hear if some parties support it or not, or if they want to find space to be "politicking" about it.
In this case, let me just say, you are quite correct about collusion. We find that patients' records can be lost and there might be collusion with regard to some stuff. We find some big firms ... And when we get to the bottom of it, some of the members here will be shocked. We find that, across the country, there are about four or five companies that are responsible for the major part of the claims. They made it their responsibility to just create these kinds of cases.
Ninety percent of the cases are about cerebral palsy that are ... [Inaudible.] ... related challenges. Here you know that if you are an obstetrician and a gynecologist that there will be certain
areas where such problems will arise. Some of them use the American standards and start calculating forward costs and then create huge claims. In some instances, we believe that there could be collusion from state- attorney level.
We are going to put a stop to all of that. At the end of the day, we have now identified areas where we will actually deal with it and treat those patients with special needs, cerebral palsy. So, there is no need for that to be added to the costs.
We need to deal with it in that way. We also have a team that will look at the trends. They are analyzing the trends and we will actually take the issue up, even with law society. Previously, I came across this kind of thing and I can tell you that we will catch them and when we do, you will actually be shocked because some of them are respectable firms. They take advantage of the disadvantages of the government system. We will fight it and fight to the end. It is still corruption, irrespective of who is doing it.