Health ombud says power outages caused by cable theft led to deaths of 3 psychiatric patients in NC
An investigation into the deaths of three psychiatric patients in the Northern Cape has pointed to hypothermia and poor hospital conditions as likely causes.
Health Ombud, Professor Taole Mokoena. Picture: @SAgovnews/X
JOHANNESBURG - An investigation into the deaths of three psychiatric patients in the Northern Cape has pointed to hypothermia and poor hospital conditions as likely causes.
The health ombud revealed that power outages caused by cable theft left patients exposed to extreme cold, leading to fatal medical complications.
An investigation was initiated following a complaint lodged by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi against the Northern Cape mental hospital in October last year.
Three patients were transferred from the mental hospital to the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in critical conditions when the hospital was experiencing infrastructure complications.
Health Ombud Professor Taole Mokoena said that during the time the patients were being treated, the Northern Cape mental hospital was experiencing trouble with electricity supply, attributed to cable theft and vandalism of an electricity substation that supplies the hospital, together with adjacent properties.
Mokoena said that as a result, some of the patients developed critical medical conditions.
"It is notable that these patients, starting with Mr Louw, who developed a stroke which may be attributed to extreme hypothermia, and Mtimbaza, who died of hypothermia, and Mohoto, who died of multilobar pneumonia, and lastly De Bruin, who also suffered hypothermia."
He added that the patients suffered devastating consequences as a result.
"In other words, during this time, when there was no electricity, patients were freezing to death, literally."
The hospital has also been investigated for alleged inadequate medical care.