Tshwane – Health Ombudsman, Prof Malegapuru Makgoba, on Wednesday identified Gauteng MEC for Health Qedani Mahlangu as a key player in the movement of mentally ill patients from the Life Esidimeni health care centre to the NGOs where they died.
"Available evidence by the expert panel and the Ombud showed that a high level decision to terminate the Life Esidimeni Health Care Centre contract precipitously was taken, followed by a programme of action with disastrous outcomes/consequences including the deaths of assisted mental health care users," said Makgoba while releasing his much-awaited report in Pretoria.
"The Ombud identified three key players in the project – MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu, head of department Dr Tiego Selebano and director Dr Makgabo Manamela at times referred to as dramatis personae in the text [the report]. Their fingers are peppered throughout the project. The decision was reckless, unwise and flawed, with inadequate planning and a chaotic and rushed or hurried implementation process."
Makgoba said in contrast to the widely reported figure of 36 patients, at least 94 psychiatric patients died between March 23 and December 19 last year in Gauteng.
"I want to emphasise that this is a provisional number and the actual number could be more," Makgoba said when he addressed journalists about the release of his much-awaited report into the investigation into the deaths of the psychiatric patients.
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"All the 27 NGOs to which patients were transferred operated under invalid licences, therefore all patients who died in these NGOs died in unlawful circumstances."
The more than 1000 patients were transferred from the Life Esidimeni Health Care Centre to the NGOs in 2015,] and 36 of them died within three months of the transfer.
Families of the deceased blamed the department for the mishandling of the transfers and deaths of their loved ones. Some said they were not informed about the whereabouts of their relatives and were sent from pillar to post by the department. They also blamed the department for not informing them immediately about the deaths and how they had happened.
The official report was scheduled to be released three weeks ago, but was delayed after Mahlangu requested more time to study the report.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it was “abundantly clear from the start” that Mahlangu had bungled the transfer of patients which led to the deaths.
The party’s health spokesman in Gauteng Jack Bloom said Mahlangu should have resigned or been fired long ago “for her inexcusable neglect.”