Mental health NGOs in Gauteng are struggling with inadequate subsidies‚ new licensing requirements‚ staffing and infrastructure.This is the thrust of a report adopted on Monday by the Gauteng legislature’s portfolio health committee‚ based on visits by committee researchers to 10 mental-health NGOs in the province.The report was adopted as arbitration hearings‚ set up to give closure to families who lost relatives when they were removed from the long-term care of Life Esidimeni and sent to NGOs‚ continue to reveal details about the shoddy treatment of mental-health patients in the province.DA MPL Jack Bloom said in a statement on Tuesday that NGOs visited by the committee complained that provincial health department subsidies — ranging from R2‚278 to R2‚700 a month for permanent patients — did not cover their costs."Lack of money makes it difficult for the NGOs to get qualified staff and to maintain infrastructure to an acceptable standard‚" he said. "The subsidies are badly adminis...
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