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Psychiatric patient deaths spark scandal in South Africa

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AP Johannesburg
The deaths of nearly 100 psychiatric patients last year in South Africa's most developed province have prompted anger at government officials who transferred the patients to non-governmental groups allegedly operating with invalid licenses.

Opposition groups today said David Makhura, the Gauteng premier, should resign because of the scandal. The province's top health official has already quit.

A health watchdog report says only one death was linked to a mental illness, while 93 other patients died because of dehydration, diarrhoea and other conditions that could have been treated. It cites reports that some non-governmental institutions were overcrowded and lacked enough food and staff.
 

The health department in Gauteng had transferred nearly 1,400 patients from a licensed facility to cut costs. Gauteng includes the capital, Pretoria, and commercial hub Johannesburg.

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First Published: Feb 02 2017 | 7:42 PM IST

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