About 144 mentally-ill patients died in 2016 after being moved from the Life Esidimeni group to ill-equipped NGOs after the Gauteng Health Department terminated its contract with the group to cut costs.About 144 mentally-ill patients died in 2016 after being moved from the Life Esidimeni group to ill-equipped NGOs after the Gauteng Health Department terminated its contract with the group to cut costs.
The committee will on Saturday host a healing session in Johannesburg. The aim is for all bereaved families to support each other and remember their loved ones. This is the first gathering in more than two years because the families could not meet during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Life Esidimeni tragedy involved the deaths of 144 mentally-ill patients facilities in Gauteng from causes including starvation and neglect. The High Court in Pretoria is currently holding an inquest into the possibility of establishing criminal liability for the deaths of the patients following their removal from Life Esidemeni to ill equipped and unlicensed NGOs in 2016.“The fact that it’s so slow, is painful and it hurts and it makes recovery and getting over it and healing more difficult.