Family could sue private clinic over baby’s death

3 year old Randy Gule drowned

A Johannesburg family is seeking legal advice, in order to sue Life Fourways clinic for negligence.

Their three-year-old baby, Randy Gule, who was resuscitated after a drowning incident, was turned away from the hospital because of a lack of medical aid. The Department of Health is also investigating the matter.

The boy fell in the family pool and was rescued by an uncle, who then took him to the closest hospital. The private clinic resuscitated and stabilised the child, but could not be admitted as the parents don't have medical aid.

The clinic tried to transfer the boy by helicopter to Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital but the chopper could not land because of bad weather. The boy was then flown to Pretoria Academic Hospital. Randy Gule was admitted but died two hours later.

Life Fourways clinic claims the boy's mother requested him to be sent to a state hospital. The Gule family denies this.

Private hospitals have to attend to emergency cases, and stabilise patients without medical aid before transferring them to a State hospital. The Human Rights Commission says turning away such patients comes across as careless and inconsistent with the Constitution's values.

The tragic death comes as the Health Department is looking at legislative interventions to make private health care more affordable.