A converted stable — where some mentally ill patients were moved to
A butchery converted into an illegal mortuary and a stable converted into a home for mentally ill patients who were moved there from the long-term care of Life Esidimeni homes. This emerged in the testimony of the Director General of the National Department of Health, Precious Malebona Matsoso, who was speaking at arbitration hearings in Johannesburg. The hearings are to get answers about why more than 118 people died when moved from Life institutions’ care. More than 1,400 patients were moved to various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the province‚ many of which were unlicensed and not equipped to accommodate psychiatric patients. After the deaths‚ Matsoso became involved and visited an NGO that had held patients. She learned it was converted from stables. She gave a few details about it, only saying it was "even worse" than another NGO described by an advocate at the hearing. Matsoso also went to a day of mourning with affected families who had lost loved ones. One to...
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