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Esidimeni patients were treated ‘like animals’ at an auction – Motsoaledi

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 Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. Picture: Thapelo Maphakela
Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. Picture: Thapelo Maphakela

Illegal non-governmental organisations from across Gauteng treated psychiatric patients from the Life Esidimeni Clinic “like animals” at an auction.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said this on Wednesday while appearing before the parliamentary committee on health together with health ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba.

Makgoba confirmed to the committee that the death toll in the Esidimeni tragedy had risen to more than 100.

The patients were transferred from Life Esidimeni to 27 non-governmental organisations in 2016.

Motsoaledi said that, just as the officials from the Gauteng health department were being held accountable, the non-governmental organisations must also be held liable.

He explained how these organisations, the majority of which were unlicensed, chose psychiatric patients from the Life Esidimeni Clinic.

“It was like a cattle auction. Non-governmental organisations’ representatives just told [Life Esidimeni Clinic] that they wanted this one or that one. How could they take patients without medical records into their care?

“There is no adult who can say he did not know it was wrong to take a sick person in his care without having the necessary qualifications to be able to do it.”

Motsoaledi said he still didn’t understand the motive behind the Esidimeni deaths.

“Was it money? But non-governmental organisations are too poor to pay people money. We are trying to establish what would drive people to do such a thing.”

The deaths occurred after the psychiatric patients were relocated by the Gauteng health department to these organisations to save money.

Makgoba released his damning report on the Esidimeni deaths this month, when there were only 94 official deaths.

He told the committee that it “boggles his mind” that, 10 weeks after “the national disaster”, former Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu still did not know exactly how many deaths there were.

Mahlangu resigned the day before Makgoba’s report was made public.

Members of Parliament in the committee said that action would have to be taken against her.

The committee also heard that the national health department was kept in the dark on the Esidimeni matter.

According to Makgoba, Mahlangu told the Gauteng legislation in 2016 that there were only 36 deaths but

“77 people had already died by then. She was the MEC during this national disaster and, 10 weeks after it was made public, she still didn’t know what was going on.”

Responding to a question from the committee on what his department did after the report was made public by Makgoba in February, Motsoaledi said that he immediately appointed 60 psychiatric experts who visited 27 non-governmental organisations (with 42 facilities where patients are cared for) between February 6 and 9 to investigate.

“I can confirm that seven facilities, including five where the most deaths occurred, have been shut.”

Motsoaledi said that 700 patients were still in the care of these organisations, but the process had begun to move them. The moving of patients from Life Esidimeni had also been stopped.

Motsoaledi said a judicial inquiry would be held to determine whether anyone could be held criminally liable for the Esidimeni tragedy.

He said it was up to the National Prosecuting Authority, and not himself or Makgoba, to launch criminal charges.

Dr Barney Selebano, department head of the Gauteng health department, and Dr Makgabo Manamela, director of mental health in Gauteng, were suspended. Their lawyers indicated that they would oppose the suspensions.

Motsoaledi wrote to the Human Rights Commission last week to ask it to investigate the system of psychiatric care nationwide to determine whether patients’ rights were being violated.

The deaths were also being investigated by the police, who were also helping with the identification of the bodies of those who died and whose bodies haven’t been claimed.


Llewellyn Prince
Parliamentary reporter
Media24 Parliamentary Bureau
City Press
p:+27 11 713 9001
w:www.citypress.co.za  e: llewellyn.prince@24.com
      

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