3 Psychiatric patients die at South Rand Hospital this year 

30 August 2016

Three psychiatric patients have died this year at the South Rand Hospital in south Johannesburg after jumping out from windows.

This was disclosed today by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu in an oral reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

Mahlangu said that the first patient jumped to his death from the 7th floor on 12 May this year, another patient removed the burglar bars and jumped from the 4th floor, and on 12 August another patient also jumped from the 4th floor.

She said that burglar bars had been restored and mesh put on all windows but that security precautions "are sometimes not sufficient."

Mahlangu added that by law all hospitals have to observe psychiatric patients for 72 hours after being admitted and additional space for this was being created at all hospitals.

I am horrified that three people have died this year at the hospital and I hope that the new measures prevent further cases.

But I warned last year that there were inadequate arrangements for the large influx of psychiatric patients at South Rand Hospital because of renovations at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. 

It is a great pity that stringent measures were not taken sooner that could have prevented these three tragic deaths.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 30 August 2016