94 unlawful deaths and counting - Health Ombud lashes government over deaths of mentally-ill patients

A total of 94 mentally ill patients died when they were moved from the licensed Life Esidimeni private homes to 27 unlicensed facilities.

The health ombudsman‚ Professor Malegapuru Makgoba‚ on Wednesday found that the Department of Health was negligent when it moved 1‚900 patients from Life healthcare.

He said the number of 94 fatalities is provisional as bodies remain unidentified in morgues and some families are still coming forward with names of dead people. His report is titled‚ “94 silent deaths and still counting“.

Gauteng MEC for health Qedani Mahlangu was lashed by the ombud. He said he didn't know how she was unaware of how many people died. When she announced that 37 people died‚ 77 had already lost their lives‚ he said.

• These are the people to blame for the deaths of 94 patients - 18 key findings from the Health Ombud reportGovernment officials must face disciplinaries‚ apologise and get ready to pay compensation to the families of mental patients affected by the Gauteng health department's treatment of mental patients.  

He also recommended the head of department and director be disciplined and possibly suspended.

He found that 27 NGOs that were used to take the patients were unlawful as they were unregistered.

But he noted that only five NGOs were to blame for most deaths. "There was a problem with these NGOs‚" he said.

Eighty percent of patients died in five places: the Cullinan Care Rehabilitation Centre‚ Takalani‚ Tshepong and Hephzibah.

People died of cold‚ hunger and thirst‚ he found.

For every death at a hospital‚ there were 19 deaths at NGOs. This ratio is very high‚ said Makgoba.

He blames three key players in the decision making and implementation of the disastrous project. These are MEC Mahlangu‚ head of the department Dr Barney Selebano‚ and director Dr Makgabi Manamela.

He said all the NGOs where patients died must "face the music".

He has asked police to speed up their investigations into deaths.

He also said that when he was trying to investigate‚ he was faced with lots of ducking and diving.

Many families were not even told their loved ones died‚ he said. In some cases there were two death certificates for the same person.

"Some of these deaths could have been prevented."

Makgoba spent 80 hours listening to family members and inspectors during his investigation.

He heard the NGOs were overcrowded‚ some did not have qualified staff with the requisite skills for the patients. This was in addition to a lack of safety and security and even proper heating in winter.

Families travelled from across the province to attend his press conference in Johannesburg‚ to hear the details of why their loved ones died.

One woman was sobbing as Makgoba spoke‚ shaking her head and wiping tears away.

Read the full report and annexures below: