Road Accident Fund claimants, Bushy Mckenely, Puseletso Mabote and Slindile Gcabashe sharing their stories and how RAF has helped ease their healing journey: Tumi Pakkies/ African News Agency (ANA)
Durban — Road Accident Fund (RAF) board chairperson Zanele Lorraine Francois said the organisation was aiming at improving its service.
The recently appointed Francois said this at the culmination of a three day RAF conference in Ballito, north of Durban.
In this conference the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) funds from Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa exchanged knowledge about the best ways to rehabilitate road crash victims.
The conference attendees included case managers, academia, non-profit organisations in rehabilitation, and research organisations.
Francois said they have to be cautious to not pay for pre-existing conditions.
She said things like socio-economic, environment and equity factors were important in order to determine the benefits of the claimants.
Moreover, she said the RAF was not a broken organisation but it’s changing lives.
Francois added and said they needed to consider strategic partnerships so they would improve the rehabilitation process of claimants.
“Whatever accidental pain you have, we as RAF we want to be there and give hope,” said Francois.
Silindile Gcabashe from Amanzimtoti who got into a car accident in 2011 when she was coming from work said RAF had been helpful throughout her experience.
“I just received a new wheelchair at the beginning of this week,” said Gcabashe.
She said when she received her payout she bought herself a house and RAF assisted with modifying her home and her vehicle.
Matthew Bushy Mckenely said RAF had assisted him with getting prosthetic legs as he was in two accidents in different times.
“In 1999 I was in a car accident it was a hit and run and I lost my leg. RAF was there. In 2018 while in Pietermaritzburg I was in another accident and I lost my leg and RAF again assisted,” said Mckenely.
He said a lot of people in the country were constantly complaining but he had nothing to complain about. Mckenely is now assisting other people living with disabilities.
Puseletso Mabote from Matatiele described his accident as a blessing from God because of how the accident changed his life for the better and forced him to mature and dream big.
He said he is now a Paralympic athlete.
Mabote said the non-profit organisation Jumping Kids assisted him as they gave him prosthetics and he was able to start moving.
The RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo said apart from the compensation paid to the claimant, the RAF also provides assistance for on-going medical treatment.
“We are thus strengthening the expertise and offerings we deliver, in order to make appropriate medical decisions and deliver services of a higher standard.”
Recently, the RAF launched a Customer Relationship Management contact centre, manned by 300 staff members, to improve the claim processes.
Letsoalo said claimants can call them on 087 820 1111 to check on their claims and how much is their payout. He said they were committed to finalise claims within 120 days.
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