‘R450 000 for a new liver’

CAPE TOWN – A new liver costs about R450 000, according to Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang – herself the recent recipient of a new liver.

In a written reply to a question by the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Ruth Rabinowitz in the National Assembly, she said hospital expenditure on liver transplants was, all inclusive, about R450 000 per patient. Rabinowitz wanted to know whether excessive drinking was “a huge cost to the country” regarding road accident deaths, damage to women and children in domestic violence, and hospital spending on liver transplants.Tshabalala-Msimang said her department had no information on the cost of loss of life in accidents due to excessive alcohol intake.”Alcohol levels are at times requested for non-natural death investigations, but the cause of the accident is not determined by the department of health, just the cause of death,” she said.According to the Medical Research Council (MRC) figures for 2005, blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) were available in only 38.2% (8 988) of the 23 541 fatally injured people.Of these, 4 657 were positive for BAC.These deaths included violence, suicide, transport, “other unintentional” causes and ‘undetermined’ causes.Nampa-SapaRabinowitz wanted to know whether excessive drinking was “a huge cost to the country” regarding road accident deaths, damage to women and children in domestic violence, and hospital spending on liver transplants.Tshabalala-Msimang said her department had no information on the cost of loss of life in accidents due to excessive alcohol intake.”Alcohol levels are at times requested for non-natural death investigations, but the cause of the accident is not determined by the department of health, just the cause of death,” she said.According to the Medical Research Council (MRC) figures for 2005, blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) were available in only 38.2% (8 988) of the 23 541 fatally injured people.Of these, 4 657 were positive for BAC.These deaths included violence, suicide, transport, “other unintentional” causes and ‘undetermined’ causes.Nampa-Sapa