Health NGO Section27 unhappy with lack of answers about psychiatric patients' deaths

Section 27 says the Gauteng health department should take immediate measures to protect psychiatric patients who were transferred from Lifecare Esidimeni into the care of non-governmental organisations‚ and to prevent any further harm to them.

The public interest law centre was commenting on health MEC Qedani Mahlangu’s refusal to answer questions in the Gauteng Legislature relating to the deaths of 36 patients who had been transferred from the private healthcare centre.

Mahlangu asked the Speaker for an indulgence to hold in abeyance the response to the questions pending the outcome of an internal investigation that the department had commissioned.

Mahlangu also refused to answer questions from the Democratic Alliance about the breakdown of the deaths at the various NGOs‚ and also details of the monitoring and funding of the NGOs which are now taking care of the patients.

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The psychiatric patients were moved into 122 NGOs after the department cancelled its long-running contract with Life Healthcare which looked after about 2‚000 patients‚ in order to cut costs. Since their removal‚ 36 of them had died. This prompted Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to ask the health ombudsman to investigate the deaths.

Section 27 expressed unhappiness about Mahlangu’s stance.

In a statement on Thursday‚ it said it was not sufficient for the department to wait for the completion of the ombudsman’s investigation before acting.

Section 27 said the department must be more transparent in providing information such as the criteria and process for approving NGOs and the identities of NGOs accommodating former residents of Life Esidimeni.

“We believe that this is information that should have been made public long ago in order to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable mental health care users.”

Section 27 said since November last year‚ it had provided legal support to the families whose loved ones were discharged from the Life Esidimeni mental health care facilities following its closure on 30 June 2016.

This includes support to the investigations under way into the deaths of at least 36 former residents of Life Esidimeni‚ to ascertain the circumstances of these deaths.