Esidimeni officials still free to Practice

22 November 2018

I am appalled that the SA Nursing Council and the SA Health Professions Council have made little progress in removing the right to practice of those implicated in the Life Esidimeni tragedy.

According to Fezile Sifunda of the HPC, Dr Barney Selebano, the former Head of the Gauteng Health Department, was referred in December last year, but no decision has yet been taken in his case.

And Adri van Eeden of the SANC says that they are waiting for information from the Gauteng Health Department before acting against the former Mental Health Director Makgabo Manamela.

He could not confirm whether her deputy Hannah Jacobus, and chairperson of the Gauteng Mental Health Review Board Dumi Masondo had been referred to the SANC as recommended by Justice Dikgang Moseneke after the Esidimeni Arbitration hearings.

This is unacceptable. How can those who are implicated in 144 deaths of mental health patients still be professionally registered to practice medicine?

It is abundantly clear that medics who grossly disregarded their duties in the Esidimeni disaster should never be allowed to practice again.

Proceedings should be speeded up so that their licenses are revoked as soon as possible.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 22 November 2018