Jack Bloom’s 2015 warnings went unheeded

OWN CORRESPONDENT

Jewish Report will put some pertinent thumbnail questions to our newsmaker(s). This week we feature Jack Bloom, erudite Democratic Alliance shadow MEC on Health in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature. Of course the horrific Life Esidimeni story has to feature prominently… So far the Health Ombudsman has told of 94 deaths. It is expected that this figure will rise.

 
1. Why do you believe the Gauteng Government gave notice to terminate their contract with Life Esidimeni?
The stated reason was to save costs as they were paying R330 million a year to Life Esidimeni for about 2 000 (mentally disabled) patients. The other claim was that this was part of a deinstitutionalisation policy in terms of the Mental Health Act, but I think this was a cover for the real motive: to save money. 

2. What do you believe was their contingency plan, if any? 
The Legislature was told that various unused government buildings like the old Germiston Hospital would be renovated and used for the patients, but nothing came of this.

3. Why didn’t it work? 
The whole exercise was poorly planned and extremely reckless bearing in mind the specialist care requirements of the patients.

4. On November 30, 2015, you warned of this impending disaster. What did you say, to whom and why? 
On November 30, 2015 I spoke in the debate in the Gauteng Legislature on the Health Department’s annual report. I said that the department was facing a “looming disaster” with the transfer of patients from Esidimeni and my direct words were: “Please, please reconsider.”

 5. What was the response to your warning?
Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu brushed aside all criticism and said arrangements were on track.

6. How could this disaster have been averted? 
This disaster could have been avoided if the MEC had listened to all the warnings from various quarters and accepted professional medical advice.

7. Who do you believe is actually responsible for this and why?
The initiator of this was Qedani Mahlangu who bulldozed everything to get her way. Senior officials colluded with her and the Gauteng Premier (David Makhura) must also share in the blame because he failed to monitor what was happening and should have fired Mahlangu as soon as the deaths became known. And there were unscrupulous people in NGOs who wanted the department’s subsidy and took the patients even though they could not care for them adequately.

8. What had you done to try and stop this disaster from happening? 
From the very beginning I asked questions in the Legislature and spoke out against the project. On September 13, 2016, I asked the key question as to how many patients had died. Mahlangu was forced to reveal that 36 patients had died, and after the public furore the Health Ombudsman was appointed to investigate it, and the full ghastly truth was revealed.

9. Has the crisis been averted now that these 94 deaths have been exposed and Qedani Mahlangu has resigned?
The Health Ombud’s report and the resignation of the Health MEC opens the way to prevent more deaths and ensure that mental health patients are properly looked after.

10. What do you think of Qedani Mahlangu accusing Life Esidemeni of sabotage?Her accusations against Esidimeni were an attempt to deflect the blame from herself and the department.

11. What urgent steps need to be taken now? 
Patients at unsuitable NGOs need to be transferred to reputable institutions where they will get proper care.

12. In the longer term, what needs to happen to safeguard mental and other vulnerable patients in this province?
I hope that this whole shocking episode leads to mental health issues getting the resources and attention that they deserve. Politicians and medical professions should get the message that the vulnerable shouldn’t be ignored just because they are weak and less able to fight for their human rights. There should be no more “silent deaths” through neglect in our health system.