Death rate of Gauteng psychiatric patients doubled after transfer

9 October 2016

I support the request by the Gauteng Health Department that the Health Ombudsman investigate the deaths of psychiatric patients who were looked after by Life Healthcare Esidimeni prior to the cancellation of its contract earlier this year.

This would assist in establishing whether the deaths at the NGOs to which they were transferred were abnormally high.

It has been reported that Life Esidimeni lost on average 8.25 patients per month across its facilities in Gauteng between October 2013 and September 2015.

They had 2000 patients compared to about 1000 patients looked after by NGOs, where 36 deaths took place over a four to five-month period.

One would therefore have expected between 16 and 21 deaths at the NGOs, or even lower as they did not get the most seriously ill patients who were sent to Sterkfontein or Weskoppies.

This means that the death rate at the NGOs was about double what it was when the patients were with Esidimeni.

Furthermore, most of the deaths took place at a small number of NGOs, including eight deaths at Precious Angels which took in 35 patients in total.

Most relatives believe that the patients were getting better care at Esidimeni and they should also be interviewed by Health Ombudsman Malegapuru Makgoba.

It is already clear that major blunders were made in the rushed transfer of patients to unsuitable NGOs, which is why I have called on Premier David Makhura to fire Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 9 October 2016