Following an unannounced oversight inspection to the Life Esidimeni Hospital in Shiluvana, Limpopo, the DA was pleased to find the facility in a clean condition and well run. The 168 patients were healthy, in good spirits and the wards were functional.
However, plans are now afoot for the Limpopo Department of Social Development (DSD) to take over the centre from this non-profit organisation (NPO). In fact, they have been advised that their funding and contract will not be renewed from October 2018.
Rather than increasing their budget to assist with the maintenance of the facility, a decision has been made to halt the funding of the NPO and for the Limpopo DSD to take over the management and functions of the centre.
Presently the Department only funds posts of the nurses and contributes a small amount to bed costs in the hospital. The nurses employed by the centre receive funding at a rate much lower than nurses who serve in Government hospitals.
The Shiluvana Esidimeni centre does not receive operational costs and therefore does not have the financial capacity to attend to infrastructural issues such as mending the leaking roof and other necessary maintenance.
The Department of Social Development is simply not in a position to manage this facility as these patients require specialised care and medical oversight.
To this end, the DA has written to the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to intervene. We have also written to the Minister of Social Development, Susan Shabangu, to request that this decision be reviewed.
In light of the Life Esidimeni tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of mentally vulnerable patients, this pursuit of the Department of Social Development to take charge of the centre cannot be allowed to happen.
Given the bad track record of the DSD in Limpopo, its financial constraints and record of mismanagement, every effort must be made to ensure that the mental health centre in Shiluvana remains in the hands of the NPO.
Urgent intervention is necessary and the DA will not sit back and allow another Life Esidemeni tragedy to unfold.