Former Gauteng director for mental health Dr Makgabo Manamela was told that the moving of patients from Life Esidimeni care facilities to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was being rushed, and that there were not enough suitable facilities to place patients in.
According to a statement from one of the Gauteng department of health [DOH] officials, Dr Sophie Lenkwane, who was stationed at Life Esidimeni’s Waverly Health Care Centre during the marathon project, Manamela told them that moving patients on time was non-negotiable as it was an order from former Gauteng MEC for health Qedani Mahlangu.
This was revealed at the Life Esidimeni inquest on Wednesday by the legal representative of the health group. Adv Harry Van Bergen was cross-examining former nursing manager for the Waverly Health Care Centre, Zanele Buthelezi.
The inquest aims to see if anyone should be held criminally liable for the deaths of 144 mental health patients from neglect.
“The process of transferring patients picked up and Dr Lenkwane and Miss Sennelo [Nonceba Sennelo, the deputy director of mental health at the Gauteng DOH] complained to us. They indicated to us that the process was a rush-rush and that some of the NGOs were not ready to receive the mental healthcare users. They also complained that they were under instruction from Dr Manamela,” said Buthelezi.
Lenkwane also said that Manamela told her and Sennelo that they had to be actively involved in moving patients because Life Esidimeni was sabotaging the process.
Buthelezi said it was chaotic when patients needed to be moved and that buses would arrive to fetch patients in the morning but only leave in the afternoon because the handover of mental health patients was difficult and rushed.
“It is practically impossible [to be ready]. It takes time to assess a mental healthcare user,” said Buthelezi.
“The first and second batch list [of patients] was received two weeks prior and we were able to prepare the patients sufficiently. Later we would get an email at night and see it in the morning with additional numbers, and it would be rushed. We would have to pull out other nurses to assist. At times there would be alterations to what we have already prepared.”
On Tuesday, DOH nurse Rochelle Gordon accused Life Esidimeni of releasing very sick patients to NGOs. Buthelezi said if Gordon had noticed that critically ill patients were being sent to the wrong place it was her duty as a professional nurse to speak up.
“She [Gordon] was not supposed to accept those mental healthcare users,” said Buthelezi.
Buthelezi corroborated Life Esidimeni’s former boss Dr Morgan Mkwathswa's testimony that their facility was not responsible for choosing where patients were taken, and that they were refused an opportunity by the department to visit the NGOs in the vetting process.
Van Bergen asked Buthelezi if any of the patients that left her facility had been in a neglected state.
“Where you aware of any reports that patients discharged were malnourished, dirty and did not have medication?” asked van Bergen.
“No such report was ever received by [the] Life Esidimeni team and the team from the department of health that was stationed with us,” replied Buthelezi.
She said Manamela had never complained to Life Esidimeni about patients in their care being neglected.
The inquest continues.
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