IN effort to ensure that the tragedy of the more than 90 mental health patients who died at the Life Esidimeni in Gauteng never recurs, the KwaZulu-Natal department of Health hosted a discussion on the findings of the report on the tragedy, at the UKZN Nelson R Mandela School of medicine in Umbilo last week.
The discussion comes after the Health Ombudsman, Malegapuru Makgoba, announced earlier this year that the 94 mentally-ill patients died last year after being transferred from Life Esidimeni to numerous NGOs in the province. In his report, Makgoba found that the former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu and her former senior officials’ decision to relocate more than 1 000 psychiatric patients was ‘reckless and negligent’.
MEC for Health in the province, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said the tragedy that befell the province of Gauteng was a wake up call to all professionals and as a government they had to take a collective responsibility.
“The purpose of this talk today is not to gloat and say we are better than Gauteng, it is a sad tragedy that could have happened to anyone.”
“Our job as government is to ensure that the tragedy never repeats itself anywhere in the country. We appeal to the health professionals to bear with us. We understand there are patients who have been in these centres for long periods, however, that must not be an excuse to send patients to the wrong centres,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal has seven specialized mental hospitals, and Dhlomo conceded that mentally ill patients are generally not well taken care of, especially patients in rural areas.
“Communications between government and Head Of Departments is very important as it ensures that we take informed decisions. There are centres who do not meeting the requirements of fully fledged registered centres, and perhaps as government we should meet them half way,” Dhlomo said.
Dhlomo also took a swipe at doctors who claimed they could not find employment in the province. He said doctors who found themselves in this position were unemployed because they were too choosy and did not want to work in rural areas.
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