Premier denies role in patient deaths
THE decision to move mental health patients to unlicensed non-governmental organisations where more than 100 died, was not taken by Joburg Premier David Makhura and his provincial executive but by individuals in the Health Department.
This came from none other than Makhura himself yesterday, when he appealed to his rival political parties in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature not to use the deaths of the psychiatric patients as a “political football”.
Makhura was speaking at the official opening of the legislature at the Green Hills Stadium in Randfontein on the West Rand yesterday.
Before his address, Makhura’s entourage and various ANC members were met with protest actions by members of the DA and EFF.
“I would like to state categorically that the decision to transfer Life Esidimeni mental health patients to NGOs was not made in consultation with the provincial executive council. The executive council and I would have never approved a plan to outsource mental health, a primary responsibility of the state to care for the vulnerable in society, to NGOs.
“What is even worse is the fact that such NGOs didn’t meet appropriate standards and legal prescripts.
“The provincial Department of Health had repeatedly reported that, as a result of the new hospitals and community health centres, they had enough beds in public health facilities that could accommodate public patients from private health facilities, such as Selby Hospital and Life Esidimeni centres,” Makhura said.
He said the executive council did not interfere in the appointment or retention of service providers by provincial departments: “I have always emphasised to all MECs and HoDs reviewing contracts with any service provider they must never compromise service delivery…
“It is common cause that the ill-fated transfer of patients to the NGOs compromised the well-being of mental health patients. At the very least, the department should have placed all patients in public health facilities or retained the services of private facilities in case there was not sufficient space in the public sector.
“As the head of government, I am deeply aggrieved by the extent to which those responsible for this tragic and ill-fated transfer of patients to unlawfully operating NGOs have tried to hide the facts from me, the Minister of Health, and the Health Ombud.”
DA spokesman on health, Jack Bloom, in his reaction to the premier said he was astonished that Makhura claimed he did not know that the psychiatric patients would be sent to NGOs.