Doctors signed off the deaths of former Life Esidimeni patients as natural, despite signs of neglect and abuse.
Between April and June last year, more than 1,300 mentally ill patients were transferred from Life Esidimeni to hospitals and nongovernmental organisations, many of which were unlicensed. The transfers were done to cut costs. Within months more than 100 patients had died.
A Health-e investigation into some of the deaths found that the safety nets meant to identify death trends and stop preventable deaths failed.
A review of family affidavits and death certificates of 34 patients shows that 85% of the deaths were certified as natural. Some certificates, signed by different medical officers, were in contravention of the law. These showed a trend that medical officers ignored - or did not see - signs of mistreatment.
Almost half the death certificates seen by Health-e were incorrectly completed. In some, the cause of death was left blank; in others, "natural causes" were cited. Some linked mental health conditions to patients with no such history, or cited ailments that should have raised suspicion, such as hypothermia and severe dehydration.
Health ombud Professor Malegapuru Makgoba reported that the NGOs where most patients died had "neither the basic competence and experience or the leadership/managerial capacity", and were often poorly resourced.
"The ... unsuitable conditions and competence in some of these NGOs precipitated and are closely linked to the ... higher or excess deaths of mentally ill patients."
Ricardo Mahlakanya, communications director at the Office of Health Standards Compliance, said the ombud was not able to comment on death certificates.
"The matter is currently held by the National Prosecuting Authority, the South African Police Service, state pathology, and other law-enforcement agencies. Once they're done with the investigation, a report will be issued," he said. - Health-e News
