GAUTENG HEALTH
No hearings yet over psychiatric patient deaths
Disciplinary hearings for health staff implicated in Life Esdimeni deaths have still not been conducted
The disciplinary hearings of health staff implicated in the deaths of psychiatric patients have still not been conducted, 51 days after the deadline set by Health Ombudsman Prof Malegapuru Makgoba. This was revealed on Sunday by Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa, who said five more patients had died, albeit of natural causes, since the release of Makgoba’s report. Between March and December 2016, 2,000 psychiatric patients were moved from the care of Life Esidimeni, owned by Life Healthcare, to 27 nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and hospitals, many of them without their families’ knowledge. The decision was meant to cut costs. Their deaths led to the resignation of then health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, with the opposition also calling for Gauteng premier David Makhura’s head. But the premier insisted that he had not had knowledge of the issue. "We believe that one death is too many," Ramokgopa said on Sunday while giving an update. "In spite of the fact that the causes of death were...
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