Today, I conducted an oversight inspection of the psychiatric ward at the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus together with DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, Jack Bloom.
The purpose of the oversight inspection was to assess the quality of service rendered to psychiatric patients and the state of mental healthcare facilities at this hospital.
This hospital’s psychiatric ward is facing a serious challenge of overcrowding.
It has only one psychiatric ward which can accommodate 10 males and 10 females.
There is an overflow of psychiatric patients being admitted at this hospital. Some of the psychiatric patients had to be placed in ordinary wards endangering the lives of ordinary patients.
The hospital staff are doing their best despite working under tremendous strain and being understaffed.
There is lack of support from both national and provincial health departments to manage the overflow of patients at this hospital.
Three psychiatric patients have died of unnatural causes at this hospital and we will be making a follow up with the MEC for Health Gwen Ramokgopa to ascertain the progress of th investigation into their deaths. We will ensure that those implicated in the death of three psychiatric patients are held accountable.
This clearly shows that the uncaring and failing ANC-led Gauteng administration has not learnt from the Life Esidimeni tragedy where 144 psychiatric patients died.
If they had learnt from Esidimeni tragedy, they would have prioritised care and services of the psychiatric patients in this province.
This indicates that the failing ANC-led Gauteng administration cares little about the lives of psychiatric patients and they can no longer be trusted in taking care of them.
Where the DA governs, we prioritise the care of our most vulnerable members of the society. In order to ensure that quality health care service is rendered Gauteng residents should vote against the party that has killed psychiatric patients and vote for change that can only be brought by the DA.