Surgeon Makgoba takes scalpel to health officials
CHARLATANS, quacks and the corrupt, beware the health ombud.
Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, 65, delivered a report this week that found three health executives responsible for the deaths of 94 mentally ill patients.
Makgoba identified Gauteng health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, head of the Gauteng health department Dr Barney Selebano and mental health director Dr Makgabo Manamela responsible for the decision to move patients from Life Esidimeni centre. They “hastily” moved nearly 1 400 patients to 27 unlicensed NGOs.
Of that number, 94 succumbed to disease, hunger, thirst and neglect. Makgoba said they died because of callous cost-cutting.
“It is remarkable that only one person has died from a men- tal health-related illness. None of the 93 have died from a mental illness; they have died from . . . dehydration, diarrhoea, epilepsy.”
Makgoba recalled months of searching for, then interviewing, every family affected.
He also questioned “fearful” health department officials who had arranged the move at the behest of their superiors.
The report affected family members and health activists, including one of the main instigators of the investigation, Section 27’s Mark Heywood, who was brought to tears.
The worst part of his investigation, Makgoba said, was the treatment of the families looking for loved ones. “For 10 days , they did not know anything.”
He described the MEC’s behaviour during the investigation as “ducking and diving” and “appalling, reckless and negligent”.