Mental facility to close down

Randfontein’s Life Esidimeni mental hospital will be closing, leaving hundreds of patients and workers desolate.

Emotions ran high at a recent meeting when parents and family members with loved ones at the hospital received the news. One thing was clear – the closure is not something families are welcoming or are considering.

Malik Mosesanyane, hospital manager of Life Esidimeni, was burdened with the task to make the announcement after he had claimed Provincial representatives failed to do it as they were supposed to.

This was not our idea. We are not responsible for the closure. Because of the nature of our relationship – we look after your family members and you are their next of kin – we thought we should let you know,” said Mosesanyane.

He said the hospital will be closing officially on 31 March 2016 due to a lack of funds. He explained patients with family will be released into their care.

Patients without families will be sent to non-government organisations (NGOs) that look after the mentally disabled.

Should patients not have families and not meet the requirements – Mosesanyane said there are many – to be sent to NGOs, they will be sent to places such as Sterkfontein and Weskoppies.

Mosesanyane explained that many of the facilities patients are to be sent to need to be renovated first to make room for the influx. Old institutions will be reopened and also renovated.

Individuals in the meeting were outraged at this and asked why a facility like Life Esidimeni is forced to close its doors when it is capable fully to care for patients when the other institutions still need to be renovated. They wanted to know if renovations will meet the four-month deadline, after which the hospital will be closed.

Family members were so against the idea that they are working towards starting a task force to voice their concerns on a higher level as well as to find the means to keep the hospital open.

Nomvula Nonjabe, 27, from Westonaria wept while trying to voice her concerns.

Is there no way we can keep this facility open? Is there no way we can pay Life directly to keep this place running? I’m 27, my sister is 24 and she’s a patient here. I work in Sandton and before I institutionalised her there was no way for me to look after her. Whenever she would relapse I would have to leave work and drive to Westonaria to help her.”

Nonjabe said the last diagnosis the doctor gave her sister was schizophrenia. She has been a patient at Life Esidimeni since March this year and there is no way she can look after her sister now. She said she would have to resign because taking someone in who is mentally disabled is a full-time responsibility.

Life Esidimeni is not the only hospital to be closed. All Life mental hospitals around Gauteng are to close.

If you missed the termination of services meeting, listen to the commentary as it happened:

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