Hospital compensates leopard attack victim

By Owen Gagare

From The Chronicle
May 29, 2010


THE man who was forced to pay for medical fees using a steer by staff at Esigodini Rural Hospital was last week given R8 000 as compensation for the beast.
However, the development has resulted in other villagers filing complaints with the hospital, hoping to also get paid for the beasts they lost, prompting the Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Directorate (PMD), to set up a team to investigate the allegations.
Umzingwane Rural District Council Ward 17 Councillor, Malachi Mpofu, who was involved in negotiations between Mr Clement Moyo and the hospital, confirmed the development.
“Two weeks ago, the hospital staff called me and Mr Moyo to discuss the issue so that it could be solved outside the courts. They agreed that the hospital was in the wrong and also agreed to pay R8 000 for the beast. He received the money last week,” he said.
“The hospital was represented by a Mr Ncube, from the PMD’s office and a certain doctor also from the provincial office.”
A beast in most rural areas costs between US$200 and US$300.
Sources at the PMD’s office yesterday said after the payout, more patients who paid the hospital using cattle filed complaints so that they too, could be paid for their beasts.
“A team has been set up to look into the issue. It seems at first there was reluctance to act on the part of those responsible but that may have changed because a committee is in place to look into the issue,” said an official.
The official, who also confirmed that Mr Moyo had received his money, was not sure where the institution got the money, since the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare does not get a vote to cover such matters.
“There could be a possibility that those involved in the scandal were asked to pool the money to meet his demands. This could also have been done to save the hospital’s face by ensuring that the matter does not go through the courts.”
The Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director, Dr Gordon Bango, could not be reached for comment as he was said to be out of the office.
His secretary said he would only be available on Monday.
Although he did not have the number of people who had sought compensation from the hospital, Clr Mpofu said he knew of a villager from Maluswapi who was making a claim for his beast.
He said authorities at the hospital took a beast belonging to Mr Jophat Moyo in November last year, which they said was for his daughter-in-law’s medical fees.
She had been admitted to the institution after sustaining burns.
“They said the steer was for medical bills but the hospital sent her a medical bill which indicated that she owed R3 500. They are unhappy because the hospital took a steer from the family and to make matters worse, her late husband, who was working in South Africa bought all her medication since the hospital did not have anything,” he said.
“They are wondering where the debt is coming from given that they parted with a steer and bought their own medication.”
Mr Moyo bravely fought a leopard, which attacked him in Esigodini in January although he sustained injuries during the struggle.
He was allegedly denied treatment until he had given hospital staff a steer five days after the attack, by which time his condition had deteriorated.
Hospital staff allegedly shared the bulk of the meat.