NGO of death paid R1m for mentally ill patients

Owner says she suffered giving care

Precious Angels‚ the most deadly NGO in the Life Esidimeni saga‚ received R1-million from the Gauteng department of health.

In total‚ 18 patients died in two homes called Precious Angels run by owner Ethel Ncube.

The figures were released by Gauteng MEC for finance Barbara Creecy‚ who was testifying at the Life Esidimeni hearings which aim to find out why 1 700 patients were moved from three Esidimeni psychiatric homes into illequipped NGOs‚ leading to the deaths of 143 patients.

Creecy disclosed that R47million was spent on NGOs in place of the Life Esidimeni contract. Its homes‚ that provided care to chronically ill psychiatric patients‚ cost about R260-million a year.

The health department claimed it ended the contract to save money.

Families testified that at Precious Angels‚ patients shared spoons when eating. Up to eight adults were housed in a single room. The patients also did not see doctors to prescribe them medicine‚ it emerged.

The health ombudsman said he suspected Precious Angels patients likely died from cold‚ hunger and dehydration.

Ncube testified that: “We did not get paid for three months.

“Most of the patients were on diapers. We would [use] seven bags of diapers in a day or two.”

She said she relied on donations from family and used savings from her stokvel groups as well as her mother’s savings to feed patients.

She did not pay rent and was evicted. “I suffered‚” she said‚ also disclosing that her car was repossessed. She paid caregivers R1 700 a month.