‘No NGOs Were Ready’, Life Esidimeni Inquest Reveals
The former Gauteng deputy director-general for mental health services, Hannah Jacobus, has the process to move Life Esidimeni patients was rushed. She was being cross-examined by the State’s Advocate Willem Pienaar.
The much-delayed inquest meant to determine any criminal liability for the deaths of 144 mental health patients in the 2016 Life Esidimeni disaster continued virtually on Monday.
Jacobus’ role was in downscaling of patients at Life Esidimeni for cost savings, and says there was no indication of it closing at the time. When its closure was announced, these downscaling plans were not implemented and there was no timeframe given for when patients were to move out.
The former deputy DG admitted to writing false licences for NGOs, under pressure from then head of Gauteng mental health services, Dr Makgoba Manamelashe. However, Jacobus maintained that while she assessed their suitability, she ultimately did not issue any licences.
Dr Manamela signed licences authorising inexperienced‚ underfunded‚ poorly equipped NGOs to look after patients with profound mental illnesses.
After the Gauteng health department terminated the contract with Life Esidimeni, NGOs were used to care for the 1712 patients.
Dr Manamela admitted to Solidarity advocate Dirk Groenewald that the NGOs to which she gave authority did not comply with the legal requirements. In 2017, it was found that patients were transferred to NGOs that had been issued “unlawful and knowingly fraudulent” licences.
Many NGOs were subsequently found to be entirely unprepared for the patients they received, some lacking sufficient food, water, medication, staff or blankets. According to Jacobus, the process have only been completed by 2020 according to the downscaling schedule.
“From December 2015 to the end of March 2016 [is not] a sufficient period to determine and appoint suitable NGOs to receive mental healthcare [patients]. No NGOs were ready by the end of March. We needed more time,” she said.
Source: Times Live
