‘I paid for care of 37 patients’

JOHANNESBURG: The owner of Precious Angels, an NGO where 23 psychiatric patients died after they were transferred from Life Esidimeni, yesterday shed tears as she testified how she lost her family savings because there was no funding from the Gauteng Department of Health.

Ethel Ncube said as a result, her vehicle was repossessed. She said she ended up unable to pay her rent. Ncube said all the money she scraped together went towards looking after patients she took in from Esidimeni in June 2016.

The Precious Angels owner said every time she contacted the department for funding, she was told the officials were busy with other NGOs and would get back to her.

Precious Angels went for three months without funding from the state, she said.

“Myself, my mother and brother had to take out loans to put food on the table. We took the initiative as waiting did not help,” Ncube told the Esidemeni arbitration hearings chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikang Moseneke.

The number of patients who died as a result of the botched transfers from Esidimeni has risen to 141 with others still to be accounted for.

“I had exhausted savings as well as those for my little one. I was kicked out of my place. I did that to get food and diapers, because I know a person in that condition needs a lot of care and can’t speak for themselves,” Ncube said as she fought back tears.

“My car was repossessed… the car used for my daughter’s needs as she uses a wheelchair. I suffered… with relevant people and resources not being there… (it) was so draining.” She said she was so out of pocket “family gave me sugar from their own homes”.

Ncube said she kept daily records and receipts of food purchased for patients. She said she also had records of the bank account used to buy daily necessities.

Justice Moseneke asked if patients ever went without food. “Not at all, judge… we endured in spite of circumstances and ensured there was food.”

Precious Angels’ premises did not meet licence requirements and, under pressure from the department, she sought a house.

Ncube also revealed that her expertise was in dealing with mentally challenged children, and not adult patients.

“The NGOs were under pressure to accommodate patients. We were told children would be sent at a later stage and in the meantime assist the state with adults,” she said.

She said she housed them at a relative’s eight-bedroom house. Seven bedrooms accommodated 37 patients, one room was for medication. The house had one bath and one shower.

Ncube said she was given medication for 28 weeks when the patients arrived. Most of them did not have complete medical records, identity documents or SA Social Security Agency cards.

The arbitration between the state and families of the deceased continues.