After Quedani Mahlangu resigned as Gauteng Health MEC, the Democratic Alliance (DA) are going after Premier David Makhura who claimed not to be somewhat responsible for the deaths of 94 psychiatric patients in the province.
The DA’s proposal to the Gauteng Legislature’s Oversight Committee on the Premier’s Office and Legislature (OCPOL) to probe Makhura’s role in the deaths has been accepted.
“At the OCPOL meeting last week on Friday I pointed out that on page 30 of the Health Ombud’s report on the matter the following claim is made by Dr Barney Selebano, Head of the Gauteng Health Department; ‘[T]he decision to start deinstitutionalisation of mental health care users from Life Healthcare Esidimeni was undertaken in the Office of the Premier of Gauteng, the Honourable David Makhura, together with the HoD'”.
Bloom wants the claim investigated as well as the failure of the Premier’s Officer and the Premier himself to effectively monitor the disastrous transfer of patients that lead to the tragic 94 deaths.
Bloom said family members of former Life Esidimeni patients had public demonstrations outside the Gauteng Health Department on two occasions.
Health activists and Bloom during a protest outside the Gauteng Health Department in October last year:
#StopKillingPsychPatients #Esidimeni37 @GautengHealth @HealthZA @Zwelinzima1 @JackBloomDA @AdvDali_Mpofu pic.twitter.com/AL5rTvehB0
— YoungNursesIndaba (@NursesIndaba) October 29, 2016
In addition, Bloom referred to the various media reports on the plight of the patients and complaints made public by relatives as well as two court applications on the matter in which Makhura was allegedly cited as a respondent.
He furthermore said Makhura should give an account as to why he did not fire Mahlangu after she disclosed an inaccurate number of patients who had died by September last year.
“It is simply not credible that the Premier and his office were unaware of the problems and the need for swift intervention,” Bloom said.
He also requested that a report be given from Makhura’s office that includes a timeline of the whole decision-making process regarding the transfer of patients from Life Esidimeni to the seemingly unlicensed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) where they died.
Furthermore, Makhura and his senior officials were requested to appear before the OCPOL committee for questioning.
“Makhura can expect tough questioning at the next OCPOL meeting,” Bloom said.
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