Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa

Media statement 

Thursday, 02 February 2017

While warmly welcomes the report released by Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba in Pretoria yesterday on the circumstances that led to the death of 94 mental patients in various NGOs in Gauteng, as well as the voluntary resignation of the MEC over this matter, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) would like to caution provinces that may have the similar plans not to fall into the same foul trap. Psychiatric patients are one of the most vulnerable groups in society and need to be treated with special care.

There are unconfirmed reports from people that one of the provinces had similar plans particularly in Port Elizabeth. DENOSA hopes that every province has learnt a lesson from the Gauteng terrible blunder.

DENOSA equally welcomes the appointment of Dr Gwen Ramokgopa who is a former Deputy Minister of Health herself and to whom listening is her strong character.    

DENOSA reiterates its long-held position that the portfolio of health at national, provincial and local levels should be overseen by political deployees with health background, so that they are well-versed on how the health department works and are able to ensure that everyone toes the line.

The findings and recommendations of the report are very clear, and the undertaking by Gauteng Premier, David Makhura, to implement them diligently and without delay should be able to put families and relatives of mental patients at ease that the matter of this nature does not repeat itself again in future.  

The death of 94 mental patients in the manner in which they died, and more especially the fact that out of 94 patients who died, only one died of mental-related illness, is alarming. The fact that 93 patients died of causes such as dehydration and diarrhea spells out the poor conditions that they were exposed to. More concerning in this is that the 94 patients who died were not critically ill-patients when they were transferred from Life Esidimeni. Out of those who were critical and who were transferred to hospitals, only four died in hospital, which further depicts that the patients were merely left under uncaring conditions in the NGOs.

The finding that the NGOs where majority patients died had neither the basic competence and experience, leadership or managerial capacity nor fitness and that they were poorly resourced is against the spirit of protecting patients’ constitutional right to life.

DENOSA would also call on community organisations to rise up and make noise when they see abnormality taking place in their communities so that shenanigans like inadequately equipped facilities in their surroundings does not occur.

Our interest on the matter was always the well-being of patients and strict compliance with *Deinstitutionalisation concept whereby patients that are transferred either to communities of community-based organisations are transferred to areas whose surroundings have facilities that are adequately equipped to respond to health needs of the patients. In this case, this was never ensured. It is disappointing that so many patients had to die under questionable circumstances. 

DENOSA hopes the report by Health Ombudsman serves as a lesson to all executive authorities and accounting officers to always put the “right to life” as their primary interest in decision making.

We are busy assessing the impact of this report on Nursing.

*Deinstitutionalisation is the process of replacing long-stay psychiatric hospitals with less isolated community mental health services for those diagnosed with a mental disorder or developmental disability.

End  

Issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA)

For more information, contact:

Sibongiseni Delihlazo, DENOSA Communications Manager

Mobile: 079 875 2663

Tel: 012 343 2315

Email: sibongisenid@denosa.org.za

Website:www.denosa.org.za

Facebook: DENOSA National Page

Twitter: @DENOSAORG