Pretoria - The Kairos Centre, which houses more than 120 psychiatric patients in Cullinan, is at the centre of yet another controversy.
It has emerged that the recent death of mentally ill Shane Jordaan was in fact the third patient to die in a month.
The Pretoria News understands that the NGO is licensed under the Mental Health Care Act 2002, as an adult psychiatry residential care facility for both females and males.
The centre hogged headlines recently in the wake of 30-year-old Jordaan’s mysterious disappearance on June 4. His body was discovered two weeks ago near the old Cullinan Road, also known as the R513.
The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Jordaan’s untimely death after they positively identified his body, based on descriptions from his family.
DA MPL in Gauteng Bronwynn Engelbrecht said her party had reliably learnt that Jordaan was the third patient from the centre to die in the past month.
She accused Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi of defending the centre by claiming that it was well maintained and had a homely atmosphere.
“The MEC states that her department had regular visits to Kairos to inspect the premises and they were happy with the conditions shown to them. The department also claims that Jordaan’s family had not visited him for at least seven years, which is incorrect according to Jordaan’s mother,” Engelbrecht said.
Yesterday, she told the Pretoria News that she would soon lay criminal charges against the centre at Cullinan police station for negligent conduct.
“We also demand to know the cause of death of all three patients, and should it be found that there were elements of neglect and negligence, those responsible should face severe consequences of their irresponsible actions,” she said.
Contacted for comment, centre manager Susan van Niekerk could neither deny nor confirm the allegations that three people died within a space of a month.
She referred all queries to her lawyer, Oeloff de Meyer.
De Meyer said that Van Niekerk would not discuss anything regarding the centre because the facility was under the Department of Social Development.
“They (the department) go to the centre unannounced and they can give you the report. They will be in a position to give you any information,” he said.
Asked about allegations that three people accommodated at the centre were reported to have died within a month, De Meyer said: “I don’t think I can comment on that; the department can comment on that. They would probably know. In any case, if there is such a problem, the DA can have an inspection and they can lay a complaint with the department.”
Gauteng Department of Social Development spokesperson Feziwe Ndwayana was not in a position to comment on the matter yesterday and promised to do so today.
Engelbrecht said the discovery of Jordaan’s body and the deaths of two other patients at the centre has brought up “memories of the Life Esidimeni tragedy, where 144 patients died due to the provincial Department of Health’s negligence”.
She said that, according to information from the Kairos centre management, Jordaan had climbed over a 2-metre wire fence to escape from the centre, saying it was “a clear indication that a lack of security and proper observation of all patients provided the opportunity for Shane Jordaan to disappear”.
Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana had not responded to questions sent to her by yesterday afternoon, including a request for comment on fears that the deaths at the centre evoked “memories of the Life Esidimeni tragedy”.
Pretoria News