Rough ride for RAF claimants as hospitals refuse treatment

Road accident victims are being left in pain as private hospitals refuse to treat them under RAF undertaking certificates. Road accident victims are being left in pain as private hospitals and specialists reportedly refuse to treat them under the Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) undertaking certificates because of delays in settling bills. The undertaking certificate is part of the compensation awarded to successful claimants, allowing them to receive medical treatment from specialists, with the health care providers submitting invoices to the RAF for payment. Road accident victims left in pain as RAF delays payments But repeated delays in settling these invoices have made private health care providers wary of accepting RAF patients. Some pay out of their own pockets and submit claims to the RAF for reimbursement. However, the process can take up to two years. Others, who cannot afford to pay upfront, have to seek treatment at public hospitals. One victim is Ricardo Solomon from Boksburg, Gauteng, who recently spent three nights sleeping in his wheelchair at a public hospital waiting for medical attention for his badly injured leg. “I spent days sleeping in a wheelchair at the public hospital because private doctors and institutions refused to assist me. “I cannot name the hospital because they will target me when I go there again. After the court ruled in my favour almost a year ago, I have been waiting for the payout,” he said. Victim spent three nights sleeping in wheelchair at public hospital The accident in 2016 left Solomon unable to continue working as a boilermaker. Nearly a decade later, he is still battling complications from his injuries, while financial difficulties have made it difficult to afford medication and support his family. At one stage, his family had to move in with relatives in an overcrowded household of 11 people. Solomon said doctors had recently diagnosed arthritis in his injured leg, with the pain extending to his hip and back. He said accessing treatment at public hospitals was an exhausting challenge. “When I go to a government hospital, I spend the whole day there. Even if I arrive at 5am, I leave at 6pm,” he said. Solomon is scheduled for a follow-up medical appointment on 25 November, but going from Heidelberg to Boksburg Hospital is an additional financial burden. Medical complications disrupt attempts to rebuild life His medical complications have repeatedly disrupted his attempts to rebuild his working life. Around 2018, after losing his job, Solomon and his family relocated to the Free State, where relatives took them in as they could not support themselves. He later got a job as a bartender and head chef at a hotel. However, his injured leg began swelling severely, forcing him to return to Johannesburg for treatment. His condition deteriorated to the point where doctors at a government hospital recommended amputating his leg. The family returned to Johannesburg after he lost his job in the Free State. His mother, a pensioner, helped support them. He subsequently secured employment as a coiler before being promoted to receiving manager within three months. Delays in RAF payments contributed to private provider’s reluctance – doctor But the physically demands of the job, such as handling heavy copper-wire rolls and moving pallets, put strain on his leg. A doctor at a private hospital in Johannesburg said delays in RAF payments had contributed to private health care providers’ reluctance to treat patients with undertaking certificates. Many accident victims were turned away and forced to seek treatment at public hospitals. The Citizen has seen e-mails in which a RAF senior manager summoned the official handling Solomon’s case to explain why his payout was delayed.