Death toll among former Esidimeni patients stands at 36

A total of 36 psychiatric patients who were transferred from Life Healthcare Esidimeni earlier this year have died while in the care of the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) they were transferred to, according to Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health.

Bloom said the information was recently disclosed by Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu, Gauteng MEC for Health in an oral reply to Bloom’s questions.

The patients were moved to 122 NGOs after the Department of Health allegedly cancelled its contract with Life Healthcare, which had taken care of 2 000 patients in Randfontein.

“I am horrified that so many patients have died from undisclosed causes after being transferred to NGOs, many of which relatives have said are unsuitable,” Bloom said.

 

Mahlangu told Bloom the investigation is ongoing and the cause of each death is being looked into.

Bloom said there needs to be accountability for the deaths of the patients and that the department should ascertain the cause of death in all cases. Stern action needs to be taken where negligence is proven.

“I challenged the MEC to apologise for the poor manner in which the transfers to NGOs were done and she said that the department had already apologised where mistakes had been made,” Bloom said.

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