Yet another Life Esidimeni psychiatric patient who was transferred to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Gauteng has died.
Jack Bloom, DA Shadow MEC for health recently received a report that a man from Newclare in Western Johannesburg had passed away, bringing the death toll in this debacle to 39.
Bloom said the family, who visited the patient at the NGO he was transferred to in Pretoria, described the conditions there as terrible – they felt there was no proper medication and the patients seemed not to be well fed.
Bloom also mentioned that Hendrietta Bongopane-Zulu, the Deputy Minister of Social Development, recently revealed that her brother was one of the patients who died when she said he was “transferred illegally like all the other families.”
When she spoke at Constitutional Hill on International Day of Persons with Disabilities she said, “As the government, we acknowledge up-front that what happened in Gauteng was wrong. The intentions were good, but the execution was a disaster, an absolute disaster.
Patients’ medical assessments were not done, the referrals were not properly done.”
Bloom still feels that Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu should be fired and said he is confident she will be let go once the Health Ombudsman completes his report on the investigation.
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