Health Ombudsman Dr. Taole Mokoena has revealed that the deaths of three mental health patients at Kimberley Hospital were caused by prolonged delays in repairing vandalized electricity infrastructure, leaving vulnerable patients exposed to severe cold for nearly a year.
In a damning report, Dr. Mokoena highlighted that the hospital took close to a year to restore power after electrical cable theft and vandalism at its power station in 2023. Shockingly, a private hospital across the road managed to reconnect electricity within days, raising serious questions about the public facility’s efficiency.
Systemic Failures Exposed
The Northern Cape mental health hospital, which cost R2.1 billion and opened in 2021, has been plagued by mismanagement from the outset. The Ombudsman’s findings revealed not only infrastructure neglect but also poor procurement practices, with substandard blankets and pajamas provided to approximately 100 patients.
Mokoena’s report criticized the Department of Health’s oversight, stating that many of the issues—including the delayed power restoration—were preventable. The hospital’s inability to secure basic necessities and maintain critical infrastructure has underscored broader systemic failures in the province’s healthcare system.
No Response from Authorities
As of now, neither the hospital, the provincial health department, nor the premier’s office has responded to the Ombudsman’s findings. The lack of accountability has drawn sharp criticism, with concerns mounting over ongoing challenges at the facility, which has been marred by cost inflations and legal disputes since its construction.
The deaths have reignited calls for urgent reforms in the Northern Cape’s healthcare sector, with advocates demanding better oversight and faster responses to critical infrastructure failures.