Nation-wide probe needed into treatment of psychiatric patients 

15 September 2016

The DA welcomes Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s request for the health ombudsman to investigate the deaths of 36 psychiatric patients in Gauteng after they were transferred from the Life Healthcare Esidimeni Hospital in Randfontein earlier this year. 

We join our colleague, DA MPL, Jack Bloom, in insisting that the Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, resign or be fired. It is unacceptable that she remains in her position after this horrendous incident.

The DA will write to Minister Motsoaledi and request that he set a clear deadline for the report. It should be ready by the end of November so that the families of those who lost loved ones can have closure as soon as possible. 

I will also insist that the terms of reference of this inquiry be made public so that they can be subjected to close scrutiny.

The sad reality is that the situation is not just limited to Gauteng. This is a serious issue in many places across South Africa which needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency. 

To this end, the DA will be conducting a nation-wide probe into the treatment of psychiatric patients, by submitting written questions in Parliament and writing to relevant bodies. These questions will include:

- Are patients’ drug regiments being adhered to timeously?

- Are patients’ conditions being assessed regularly?

- Are facilities being assessed as safe for patients?

- Do facilities have resources for safe patient seclusion and sedation?

- Are patient discharge care plans being carefully formulated and properly adhered to?

The 36 patients died after the Gauteng Health Department transferred them into the care of NGO’s after ending its contract with the hospital. The role played by these “NGO’s” must also be investigated, and it must be determined if similar instances are happening across the country. The DA will therefore also submit the following questions:

- What due diligence was done on the receiving NGOs? 

- Why was there not early or immediate intervention when it became clear that the patients’ lives were at risk? 

- What are the clinical competencies of staff employed at these “NGO’s” and are they appropriate to deal with the psychopathology presented by the patients?

The fact of the matter is that psychiatric patients in this country are being under-served and their families unsupported. This needs to come to an end. 

The DA will use the mechanisms available to it in Parliament to assess the extent of this problem across the country, so that every step can be taken to prevent these horrific deaths from happening again.

Issued by Wilmot James, DA Shadow Minister of Health, 15 September 2016