Hi I have received a Summons from a large Hospital

I joined a Medical a Hospital Plan in April 2011 and was submitted to a 3 month General Waiting Period and a 12 month period for my wife's depression

In Dec 2011 my wife OD'ed and was in serious respiratory failure and needed to be resussed on the bed, paramedics were called and they called up the local private hospital as the nearest state hospital was 20km away and the private hospital asked about my med aid details and said bring her in.

When she got to the hospital i was in a state of blind panic and the hospital phoned the med aid and they said she should be admitted as she was on the hospital plan.

the hospital gave me forms to sign but i did not know what they were and as i was from the UK i assumed they were her name and address.

She had to be resussed twice in emergency and then put on life support

The following morning i received a call from the hospital saying i owed them £10 000 and that if i do not pay my wife will be discharged, but the doc in ICU said the med aid would pay until she is stable.. I told the hospital that she had a hospital plan but the hospital said the med aid rejected the request and were not paying

The following day as soon as the tubes came out of her throat she discharged herself.

Then I received around R35 000.00 of bills and i kept saying med aid will cover.. and they re submitted to med aid and they kept rejecting saying that the reason was that the cause was depression and that she was in a waiting period.

There is a pamphlet from the med aid that says quite clearly that the med aid will pay in a life threatening emergency until you are stabilised EVEN IF YOU ARE IN A WAITING PERIOD.


In sept 2011 I laid a complaint with the council of med aid and am still waiting a response

But in the mean time the largest creditor the Hospital has issued a summons, they did wait 6 months but now have issued.. I am unemployed and so is my wife and i do not have R22 000 to pay them

I am still waiting for the council before i can sue the med aid for breach of promise / false advertising etc..

What can I do in the mean time to delay the summons further?