Gauteng health denies chaotic mental patient relocation

The relocation of psychiatric patients from Life Esidimeni facilities was going well, the Gauteng Health Department said.

Johannesburg - The relocation of psychiatric patients from Life Esidimeni facilities was going well and allocated facilities were ready to receive them, the Gauteng Health Department said on Tuesday.

The department had earlier admitted it failed to inform at least 30 families that their mentally ill relatives were being moved over the past four days.

Panic-stricken families found their relatives only after searching the half a dozen facilities set to house the patients.

“It is regrettable that an impression is being created that the department is ill-prepared for the relocation of patients,” spokesman Steve Mabona said.

“Contrary to that, relocation is going well and we can assure you that all the facilities (NGOs, Weskoppies and Sterkfontein Psychiatric hospitals) are ready to take incoming patients.”

Mabona said 460 patients had been transferred, and about 1 200 were waiting to be moved.

“Their families were informed accordingly”, Mabona said.

But the South Africa Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) operations director Cassey Chambers disagreed.

“Family members are still unsure which patients are being moved when. We heard rumours that they were moving just male patients. Families are trying to track down loved ones, with no information being given by Esidimeni or the department. There’s no drastic difference from Monday,” she said.

Late last year, the department terminated its legacy contract with the group citing that it could no longer afford spending R323 712 000 a year for the then 2 378 patients.

However, after a court battle, the department extended the contract until next month and said that in the interim, patients would be either discharged or readmitted to other institutions.

The department promised the patients’ relatives that they would keep them posted.

On Tuesday, The Star reported how Sadag had been inundated with calls from between 30 and 40 families who didn’t know their relatives’ whereabouts.

“We’re not against the department terminating its contract with the group,” Chambers said. “They must just do things properly. Now there is mistrust between the department and the families and patients. Most of these patients have no family and no one checking on them.”

Mabona advised anyone with enquiries about the relocation to call the Mental Health Review Board Secretariat at 011 355 3375.

vuyo.mkize@inl.co.za

The Star