Deaths at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp could have been prevented had there been enough medical capacity, Minister of Home Affairs Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Friday.
There were nine deaths at the centre this year, and 43 more at Leratong hospital, to which Lindela refers serious cases, it emerged on Friday at the release of a report into the deaths by an independent committee.
While investigating four of the deaths, which took place in July, committee member Hashim Moomal, a retired pathologist, interviewed Lindela’s in-house doctor and nursing sister, as well as an independent doctor contracted by Bosasa, the company administering Lindela.
The first case was that of ”Baby Christian”, a 23-month-old infant who arrived at the centre on April 26 this year with a Congolese woman. He died at Leratong a week later of pneumonia that had progressed into septicaemia and shock.
According to the report, he was assumed to have been the Congolese woman’s child until it was discovered that he was, in fact, born in East London to a South African woman.
Mcabangeleni Mlambo (22), of Zimbabwe, died on July 4 at Lindela after having bled from the nose and vomited blood. The nursing sister’s report stated he had ”flu and conjunctivitis”.
Zimbabwean Alice Tshumba died at Leratong hospital at an unspecified date in July, while she was seven-and-a-half months pregnant. She was referred to Leratong on July 4 and was not seen by a doctor. A post-mortem stated her death to have been consistent with gastro-enteritis and pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs).
Mozambican David Baloyi (32) died on July 14 at Lindela. He had patchy and discoloured skin, chest pains, a cough, weakness and shortness of breath. The doctor ascribed the cause of death to have possibly been pneumonia or meningitis.
Moomal said during his investigations of the centre, he took into account the prevalence of HIV/Aids on the continent, suicides and manifestations of stress as contributing factors to the deaths.
”In the examination of the four cases referred to, the committee found most of the deaths could have been prevented if the medical-care facility had enough capacity to deal with the cases of people who are sick,” said Mapisa-Nqakula.
The committee recommended that the capacity of the medical-care facility be addressed through the provision of adequate infrastructure and human resources, she said.
Other recommendations included continuous training of Lindela’s clinic staff in emergency medical care, mental health and tropical medicine — in particular the management of HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria — and protocols in the outbreak of infectious diseases such as meningococcal meningitis, typhoid and cholera.
The committee also suggested that detainees be screened for medical conditions on their arrival at the centre.
The minister said she has requested a delay in the tender process for the administration of the centre until it is agreed how the committee’s recommendations will be implemented. — Sapa