Share

More than 20 Life Esidimeni patients still unaccounted for

More than 20 Life Esidimeni patients are still unaccounted for.

In a statement on Sunday, DA MP Jack Bloom said police had informed him that 28 patients were still missing.

The Gauteng health department has, however, disputed this, with spokesperson Lesemang Matuka saying the actual figure is 22.

The police could not be reached for comment.

Bloom said the figures followed the missing persons case he had opened with police earlier this year.

"While I am pleased that the original list of 62 has been reduced to 28 patients, there is a decreasing chance of finding them all since they were discharged two years ago from Esidimeni to illegally registered NGOs."

Bloom said that based on the list he was given by police, 18 men and 10 women, with ages ranging from 27 to 79, were missing.

"In two cases the date of birth is given as 1900 and 1914 but this seems to be a mistake," he said.

Bloom said that three people were not named on the list, with one having the description: "Male child David".

"It is distressing that so many patients have still not been found, which highlights the fact that the Esidimeni tragedy is still not over," said Bloom.

At least 144 psychiatric patients died in 2016 after the Gauteng department of health moved 1 700 mentally ill people from Life Esidimeni homes into ill-equipped NGOs and state facilities.

KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Can radio hosts and media personalities be apolitical?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes, impartiality is key for public trust
32% - 222 votes
No, let's be real, we all have inherent biases
68% - 468 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.23
-0.4%
Rand - Pound
23.94
-0.5%
Rand - Euro
20.48
-0.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
-0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-0.6%
Platinum
948.80
-0.2%
Palladium
1,024.00
-0.5%
Gold
2,382.75
+0.2%
Silver
28.34
+0.4%
Brent Crude
87.11
-0.2%
Top 40
66,515
-1.0%
All Share
72,579
-1.0%
Resource 10
62,764
-0.8%
Industrial 25
97,299
-1.1%
Financial 15
15,371
-0.7%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE