STAFF would’ve been able to identify illness in Life Esidimeni patients, some of which led to their deaths.
This was what specialist psychiatrist Dr Mvuyiso Talatala told the North Gauteng High Court in Tshwane on Thursday, 17 March.
Testifying at the Life Esidimeni Inquest, he said inadequate care and poor nutrition at NGO centres patients were transferred to would have left them unable to fight off infections.
Some post-mortem reports were placed on record during cross-examination.
He said in the case of Virginia Machpelah, she had gangrene in both feet and was suffering from dehydration. She had swollen legs, indicating the gangrene was spreading. Other patients had lung infections and pneumonia.
The inquest heard that Vuyo Nqgodwane died in February 2017 after being transferred to Cullinan Care and Rehabilitation Centre. He had swallowed plastic, that caused irritation to his stomach and vomiting. His cause of death was aspiration pneumonia, caused by inhaling liquids and foreign objects.
Talatala said health workers at psychiatric institutions needed sharp eyes as patients needed to be monitored closely.
“Routine monitoring should be able to pick a patient who has aspirated.”
At least 144 patients died, and the inquest seeks to determine if anyone should be held criminally liable.
