Health department helps miners access unclaimed lung-disease benefits

The Department of Health will from Monday launch a national campaign to track, trace and pay former mineworkers' unclaimed benefits, including provident funds and compensation for lung diseases contracted on the job.

The countrywide campaign will kick off in the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal before moving to other provinces. 

Joining the department at these roadshows will be the Tshiamiso Trust, which was formed after a settlement agreement between a number of mining companies and the class action representatives of miners who contracted TB or silicosis at the mines between March 1965 and December 2019.

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The department said on Sunday claimants should bring relevant documents including a valid ID, service and medical records and the deceased mineworker’s death certificate or autopsy report, if available.

“The compensation amount will depend on a number of factors including the severity of the permanent respiratory impairment suffered by the mineworkers and their employment history at qualifying and non-qualifying mines,” the department said.

In cases where the mineworkers have died, dependants were urged to submit the relevant documents, including a death certificate, to the department.

“A say for a mineworker who died before December 10 2019 will be eligible only if the main cause of death is attributed to silicosis or TB, or there is an approved Occupational Diseases in Mines & Works Act certificate or other exceptions.”

A list of qualifying gold mines and periods for the Tshiamiso Trust claimants is accessible here.

The Tshiamiso Trust said it was in support of the government campaign which includes roadshows and outreach to rural  communities which may not have access to lodgement offices and facilities for the benefit medical examinations (BMEs).

“The Tshiamiso Trust will be present at these roadshows as far as possible and will assist its eligible claimants  with their lodgements ad BMEs,” Tshiamiso Trust’s executive for stakeholder relations and communication, Lusanda Jiya, said.

Jiya said where it came to lodgements, medical examinations, say processing and payments for Tshiamiso Trust claimants specifically, this can be done only by the trust itself, with the support of its accredited service providers.

Jiya said there were other occupational diseases that mineworkers may need to say for at these roadshows, and also things like provident and pension funds, but that had nothing to do with the trust.

Jiya said the trust has so far paid more than R950m to over 10,700 claimants.

The department called on former mineworkers or their dependants to visit their nearest lodgement site in their areas.

Compensation say can be lodged or made at the after sites:

• January 23 to 24 — Vryheid Hospital and Dumbe Community Health Centre
• January 26 to 27 — Nkonjeni Hospital to service communities about Ulundi
• January 30 to February 4 —  Itshelejuba Hospital to service people from Pongola and surrounding communities and Benedictine Hospital to service people from Nongoma, Usuthu and surrounding communities
• February 1 — Benedictine Hospital to service people from Mandlakazi and local communities
• February 2 — Benedictine Hospital to service people from Matheni and local communities.

To cheque if they have a potentially valid say, the department asked people to contact the Tshiamiso call centre on 080 1000 240 within SA borders or send a WhatsApp message on 078 504 9004 or email to info@tshiamisotrust.com.

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