Families of those who died after leaving Life Esidimeni care to get R200,000
The amount is broken down as R20,000 for funeral costs and R180,000 for emotional trauma
The government will compensate the families of more than 100 mental patients who died of neglect after they were moved from hospital to unlicensed health facilities. At least 144 psychiatric patients died of hunger and lack of care within months of the move in 2016, according to a damning report by health ombudsman Prof Malegapuru Makgoba. An agreement had been reached between the families and the government to pay R200,000 to each family for emotional trauma, psychological injury and funeral expenses, lawyer for the victims Adila Hassim said at the hearing on the Life Esidimeni deaths. But Hassim said that the agreement to pay each family R200,000 the deal did not cover the “constitutional damages” suffered. Provincial government officials attempted to justify the transfer of the patients saying they were under pressure to cut expenditure. In January, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi broke down as he apologised for what he described as “one of the most painful and horrible events i...
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