THE Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union has warned that it is just a matter of time before another Life Esidimeni tragedy happens.
The union is made up of healthcare workers practising in the public and private sectors, and non-governmental organisations.
It said the tragedy was just the beginning because government was obsessed with budget cuts. The union also called for former Gauteng premier David Makhura to account for the tragedy as it happened while he was in office.
In a statement, the union said it had noted the testimony emerging at the inquest, and described it as the worst tragedy in the history of Mzansi healthcare.
“It is scandalous that Makhura was not forced to resign after the tragedy, that led to the deaths of 144 patients,” it said.
When the health department terminated its contract with the Life Esidimeni Group in 2016, mental health patients were moved to NGOs that were later found ill-equipped and some unlicensed.
Officials have since testified that the decision to terminate it was based on cost-cutting, with instruction coming from above.
“The tragedy at Life Esidimeni would not have happened if the budget had not been slashed,” read the statement.
“The majority of people depend on public hospitals which are under-funded, under-resourced and understaffed. Government has been obsessed with cost cutting and we can expect tragedies like this to continue.”
The union said while some deaths were due to staff negligence, there was a broader failure.
“The neglect in our hospitals, with the collapsing infrastructure, is a reflection of the governing party that does not care for the poor and working class.
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“Members of parliament and cabinet ministers don’t use public facilities, so they are immune from the suffering experienced by ordinary citizens.”
The union pointed out the disastrous impact caused by load shedding. “Diesel is expensive and the cutbacks mean most hospitals can’t afford to keep generators operating. This means patients who depend on machines may die,” it said.
