An expert witness, Dr. Mvuyiso Talatala, has told the Life Esidimeni Inquest at the Pretoria High Court that some patients lost significant weight before succumbing to a variety of diseases.
Talatala, a specialist psychiatrist, testified that some patients died of gangrene, lung infection and pneumonia.
The health ombudsman revealed that the 144 patients died of hunger, dehydration, and neglect during and after they were moved from the Life Esidimeni facilities to ill-equipped and unregistered Non-Governmental Organisations in June 2016.
Talatala argued the transfer of critically ill patients like Virginia Makhaphela from the Life Esidimeni to ill-equipped NGOs could have contributed to their deaths.
“My lady, there’s a connection, whilst the pathologist does not link the gangrene to the deaths. But the pathologist doesn’t find anything else in her report. Doesn’t give us an alternative. But gives us that and the dehydration, the only things that were found.”
NGOs not suitable to accommodate patients
On Wednesday Talatala told the inquest that the condition of some of the patients did not permit their transfer to other NGOs.
Talatala shed some light on unsuccessful attempts to caution different government stakeholders to prevent the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
He said some NGOs were not suitable to accommodate mental health patients with certain medical conditions.
“They would offer care but it wouldn’t be the same as the one that was offered at Life Esidimeni or the care that was offered at Serkfontein which was good care. Because they were able to say which patient was suitable for their care and they will know what medical care they will have to provide.”
The Life Esidimeni Inquest is investigating the deaths of 144 mentally-ill patients that were transferred to NGOs:
