400 psychiatric patients allegedly go missing

'What happened to about 400 mentally ill patients who should have been placed in institutions?'

Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, questions the whereabouts and care of former Life Esidimeni patients. Photo: Citizen.co.za

More complaints have emerged about the whereabouts and care of former Life Esidimeni patients.

According to Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, the whereabouts of 400 chronically ill psychiatric patients are unknown.

Bloom refers to his correspondence with Gauteng MEC for Health, Qedani Mahlangu, in which the numbers of patients that have been discharged and relocated did not add up. He said that in a recent reply Mahlangu had indicated that 1 362 patients were relocated from Esidimeni to three hospitals and five Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs). However, in a previous written reply, Mahlangu had said that 1 671 patients needed long-term care and NGOs would also accommodate 113 patients that need medium-term care but are categorised as high-level functioning patients.

“I am concerned that 1 784 patients were apparently supposed to be placed in hospitals and NGOs, but only 1 362 patients have been accounted for.

What happened to the approximately 400 mentally-ill patients who should have been placed in institutions?” Bloom said.

He said the Department of Health had originally indicated that it would house 1 193 patients at the Weskoppies, Sterkfontein, Tshwane, and Cullinan Care hospitals, the refurbished parts of the Transvaal Memorial Institution (TMI), Pinnar and the Old Germiston Hospital, while the NGOs were supposed to house 591 patients.

“According to Mahlangu, however, only 360 patients have been housed at Weskoppies, Sterkfontein and Cullinan, and none whatsoever at Tshwane, TMI, Pinnar or the Old Germiston Hospital. A total of 1 002 patients are now in 25 NGOs, with numbers ranging from 197 patients at Tshepong to one patient at Hephzibhar,” said Bloom.

Bloom described the relocation planning as ‘poor’ and said there have been many complaints from relatives. “There are many complaints from relatives about the unsuitability of the NGOs and lack of care for patients who sometimes don’t get their medicine. It is very distressing that vulnerable people have been treated so badly.”

He is now calling on the Department to clear up the mystery of the missing patients and to tighten supervision at the NGOs that currently care for psychiatric patients.

“If an NGO is not able to offer quality care, the patients should be transferred elsewhere,” he said.

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