The release of the long-awaited SA Health Ombud's report expected to shed light into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 36 mentally ill patients in Gauteng has been postponed.
Business Day reports that this follows a request by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu, who received the draft interim report on 6 January. The report by Health Ombud Professor Malegapuru Makgoba was due to be released by Wednesday.
Mahlangu was meant to have responded to the report by last Friday, but instead requested an extension. The MEC now has until 24 January 24 to respond to the draft report – something that she is required by law to do.
The report says last year the National Department of Health ordered the Office of the Health Ombudsman to investigate the deaths of the 36 patients following their transfer from a private care provider, Life Healthcare Esidimeni Centre. The transfer was due to the termination of the contract with the centre after years of service, with the provincial health department citing financial constraints and the need to reintegrate the mentally ill patients into society.
DA shadow minister Jack Bloom is quoted in the report as saying that he expected that the findings of the report to be devastating and that Mahlangu and some senior officials could be held criminally liable. "It is important that there is accountability in this matter for the deaths that could have been prevented," Bloom said.
Ricardo Mahlakanya, the director of communications and stakeholder relations at the Health Ombud, said the ombud gave the MEC an opportunity to respond following which the office would release a new date on which the report would be made public, whether or not she met the deadline.
The report said the Gauteng Health Department did not respond to questions.
[link url="http://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/health/2017-01-16-report-on-deaths-of-psychiatric-patients-postponed/"]Business Day report[/link]