Life Esidimeni families: Review board must be reconstituted
The Life Esidimeni Family Committee has expressed concern over the mental health review board, saying it has not been reconstituted since the release of the Health Ombudsman’s report into the tragedy.
The committee briefed the media on relocation of mental health patients, deaths that occurred after February 2017 and issues relating to the appointment of the board.
Committee member Nomvula Nonjabe says people who were part of the when these deaths occurred have not been removed.
"We are concerned about the mental health review board because this happened under their watch," she says.
Nonjabe adds that the is a lack of transparency in relation to how the review board is constituted.
"Only the chair of the board has been removed so this brings about the same question: How do you expect the board to function properly if you still have those people on the board," she says.
She says they have made submissions to the department of health with recommendations for appointments for the board but are yet to receive feedback.?
More than a 100 mental health patients died when the provincial government moved them from Life Esidimeni to private facilities.