The decision to move mental health patients to unlicensed NGOs, where more than 100 died, was not taken by Gauteng Premier David Makhura and his provincial executive but by individuals in the Health Department.
So said Makhura yesterday, appealing to rival political parties in the legislature not to use the deaths of more than 100 mental patients as a “political football”. Makhura made the remarks during the official opening of the legislature.
Before his address, there was a protest by the DA and the EFF. They held placards calling for the fall of Makhura, accusing him of being directly responsible for the deaths. Police had to fire stun grenades to prevent EFF members from entering the stadium, in an attempt to disrupt the proceedings.
In the legislature, EFF members wanted Speaker Ntombi Mekgwe to allow for a motion on Esidimeni deaths. She turned it down on the grounds that they failed to follow procedure on having it put on the agenda.
Makhura used his address to lay into his critics, especially the EFF. DA members held posters remembering the dead mental patients.
“I would like to state categorically that the decision to transfer Life Esidimeni mental health patients to NGOs was not made in consultation with the provincial executive council. The executive council and I would have never approved a plan to outsource mental health, a primary responsibility of the state to care for the vulnerable in society, to NGOs.
"The provincial Department of Health had repeatedly reported that, as a result of the new hospitals and community health centres, they had enough beds in public health facilities that could accommodate public patients from private health facilities such as Selby Hospital and Life Esidimeni centres,” Makhura said.
He said the executive council did not interfere in the appointment or retention of service providers by provincial departments, saying “we dare not be found on the wrong side of the law”.
“I have always emphasised to all MECs and HODs reviewing contracts with any service provider that they must never compromise service delivery, especially (for) the most vulnerable groups which depend entirely on the state for their well-being. Cost considerations can never override the imperative of the quality of care.
“It is common cause that the ill-fated transfer of patients to the NGOs compromised the well-being of mental health patients. At the very least, the department should have placed all patients in public health facilities or retained the services of private facilities in case there was no sufficient space in the public sector.
“As the head of (the provincial) government, I am deeply aggrieved by the extent to which those responsible for this tragic and ill-fated transfer of patients to unlawfully operating NGOs, have tried to hide the facts from me, the minister of health and the health ombud,” Makhura said.
He said Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi and newly appointed MEC for Health Dr Gwen Ramokgopa were doing everything in their power to implement the recommendations of the health ombudsman.
He said the families of the victims had also appealed for the tragedy not to be used for politcal point-scoring at healing ceremony at Freedom Park on Saturday.
“Families made an impassioned plea that as we mourn the tragic death of the mental health patients and take decisive corrective action, politicians and political parties must be advised not to use this tragedy as a political football because this prolongs their pain and anguish,” Makhura pleaded.
He reiterated that he would ensure that the tragedy was not repeated. “I will appoint the Premier’s Mental Health Advisory Panel to assist in this mission.”