Health department ends contract with mental health facility

The Gauteng health department is breaking its ties with the largest and oldest hospital public/private partnership because it can no longer afford the costs of treatment.

Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu said the department had given notice to terminate its contract with Life Healthcare Esidimeni Hospital. The facility provides in-patient care, treatment and rehabilitation for people with chronic psychiatric disorders and severe intellectual disability, and is under contract to the national and provincial departments of health and social development.

The current footprint of Life Esidimeni Chronic Mental Health Services covers three provinces with a total of 3 355 beds in various facilities. Mahlangu said that during the 2014/15 financial year, the department spent about R323 712 000 on the hospital for treatment of around 2 378 patients, adding that the department cannot afford this. She said the budget allocation which was previously utilised on the facility will be reprioritised.

According to the department, the contract termination is in line with the Mental Health Care Act No 17 of 2002, which encourages mental healthcare practitioners to treat mental healthcare users in the least restrictive environment.

Mahlangu said consequently, the department wants to reduce psychiatric patients at facilities by discharging all those who are responding well to treatment and integrate them back to communities and afford them treatment at their respective homes.

Mahlangu explained that patients needing further treatment would, as of next year, be referred to hospitals with psychiatric wards closer to their homes. DA MPL Jack Bloom said the imminent termination of the contract was a "looming crisis" for the more than 2 000 patients. He said Life Healthcare was doing a good job and the department was getting good value for an essential service.

Dr Nilesh Patel, chief operating executive at Life Healthcare Services, confirmed that they had received the notice of termination, effective on March 31 next year. He said that while regretting that the termination of the contract will impact users, their families as well as Life Esidimeni staff due to the Gauteng Department of Health's lack of funds, discussions are under way with both parties to ensure the impact on all stakeholders is minimised. Over the past three years, Life Esidimeni has treated a total of 6 580 patients in Gauteng, transferred to the facilities from government hospitals. Of these, a total of 1 743 have been successfully reintegrated.

The Stare, 22 October 2015