The MEC for health in Gauteng, Qedani Mahlangu, resigned on January 31 just before the release of a report into the deaths of 94 mental health patients. She faces a class action lawsuit after a report by the health ombudsman exposed the appalling conditions in which the psychiatric patients died between March 23 and December 19 2016. The patients came to their deaths because of a cost-cutting exercise by the Gauteng government. A total of 2,000 patients were moved from Life Esidimeni private hospitals to 27 nongovernmental organisations (NGOs). The report stated that all the 27 NGOs to which patients were transferred operated under invalid licences. All patients who died in these NGOs died under unlawful circumstances. It was initially reported that 36 patients had died, but the figure turned out to be nearly triple that. The health ombudsman found that the most common cause of the deaths was pneumonia, followed by uncontrolled seizures. Patients were found to be starving and dehydr...
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