Premier ‘ignored letter’

Gauteng premier David Makhura needs to explain why he ignored appeals not to close the Waverley Centre, which subsequently led to the death of 94 psychiatric patients, the DA said yesterday.

More evidence was emerging that Makhura ignored explicit warnings that the transfer of mental health patients from Life Healthcare Esidimeni would be a disaster that could result in deaths, DA MPL Jack Bloom said.

“As reported in the Sunday Times, Wits University occupational therapy students wrote to top state officials, including Makhura, on January 18 last year, in which they warned about moving patients from Esidimeni’s Waverley Care Centre in Germiston.

“I have a copy of this letter which details the concerns of students who spent many hours of study at the Waverley Care Centre,” Bloom said.

The letter included various key points:

Waverley was an essential mental health care facility for individuals who would be unable to function on their own in society and in many cases had been abandoned by their families;

There were patients at Waverley at a very low level of functioning at which only immense external structure (constant assistance and support) and routine managed by caregivers would allow them to function; and

Waverley had a high number of patients who had treatment re- sistant forms of their conditions, mostly schizophrenia.

“Makhura needs to explain why he ignored appeals from the students not to close the centre. The DA will continue to probe his failure to halt the unfolding tragedy that let to 94 deaths.

“I have requested that he appears before the Gauteng legislature’s oversight committee on the premier’s office and legislature. We need to know, what did he know, and when did he know it?” Bloom said. – ANA