Health Ombudsman: Gauteng Health MEC's 'suitability should be considered'
The Health Ombudsman has released the final report into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of mentally ill patients in Gauteng.
Professor Malegapuru Makgoba says a total of 94 mentally ill patients died after they were transferred to non-governmental organisations (NGO) from Life Esidimeni between March and December last year.
The Department of Health in the province reported that 36 mentally ill patients died.
Makgoba says he expects the number to rise.
"Some families are now coming out of the woodworks, sending us names of their relatives they want us to investigate. I suspect that the number is higher than that and that's why I have entitled my report '94 silent deaths and still counting'," says Makgoba.
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Makgoba says 27 NGOs operated without the necessary licenses when they admitted the patients.
"The Gauteng Department of Health took mentally-ill patients from a licensed institution and put them in 27 unlicensed NGOs and you can see how unlawful that must be for a provincial department to do that to a group of vulnerable people and, therefore, anybody who died in those circumstances, died under unlawful circumstances," says Makgoba.
The Ombudsman's first finding calls for the resignation of Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu.
"Perhaps the Premier of the Gauteng Province must, in the light of this very serious findings, consider the suitability of MEC Mahlangu to continue in her role," says Makgoba.