Esidimeni saga: 21 patients still missing
LATEST: Government appeals for help to find 21 missing Life Esidimeni patients.
The DA said 21 mental health patients who were discharged after the Gauteng Health Department cancelled its contract with the former Life Esidimeni have still not been found.
Jack Bloom, the DA’s Gauteng Shadow MEC, who issued a statement earlier this week said, “This was disclosed by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa in an oral reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature. She said that these patients had left Esidimeni between 10 November 2015 and 31 October 2016 and three had been sent to NGOs, one to a hospital and one to a family, but no information was available on the others.
“Ramokgopa added that every effort has been made to locate the patients, including checking with NGOs, hospitals, other provinces and Home Affairs,” Bloom said.
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He added that a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has also been requested to assist in finding out what happened to them.
“I am astonished that Ramokgopa claims that there have been “no delays” in finding the patients as it is now more than two years since they disappeared. It seems that the Department has met a dead-end in finding the remaining patients, as the number has not come down since July this year when I was told that there were 20 patients still missing.
“Sadly, many of these patients have likely lost their lives, joining the 144 other patients who died as a result of the arrogance, cruelty and corruption of the failing government that caused the Esidimeni horror.
“The terrible fate of the missing patients should be added to the charges faced by the perpetrators who should be tried and punished in court as soon as possible,” Bloom concluded.
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