More than R400m has been paid to victims of the 2016 Life Esidimeni tragedy, when 144 people died after 1 500 mental health patients were moved to unlicensed NGOs that failed to provide proper care.
The 144 died from starvation, thirst and other factors, reports TimesLIVE.
In last week’s Portfolio Committee on Health meeting, the Gauteng Government said so far, it had paid R405m to victims of the tragedy.
A total of 514 claims had been received, with 405 of them receiving compensation of R1.2m each, “split 50/50 between the families and the patient if he or she is alive”, said the DA’s Jack Bloom.
“There were originally 134 claimants who received compensation from the arbitration presided over by Justice Dikgang Moseneke in 2018. A further 271 of them have benefited from Moseneke’s recommendation that other victims should be also paid compensation.”
More payments are expected, as only 60 people have so far received their portion of the funds.
“The office of the Premier has applied for curators to administer these funds, and law firms have been appointed to help families with an executor for the deceased claims,” said Bloom.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
SIU recovers funds from Life Esidimeni facilities
Life Esidimeni inquest: ‘He vomited for four weeks and then he starved to death’
Life Esidimeni inquiry: NGO had grown men sleeping in baby cots
Life Esidimeni transfers not practical, but officials forced to comply, inquest hears