Health activists launched an online memorial and advocacy project on Thursday to keep alive the memory of the over 100 people with mental health problems who died due to the negligence of the Gauteng Department of Health after they were removed from Life Esidimeni centres in 2016.
Bereaved family members joined the launch with SECTION27, the South African Human Rights Commission, and the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).
The online platform offers links to helplines and counselling services which offer referrals, information and support.
“We also want to empower people, whether it’s patients or family members, on how to report complaints or to report mental health issues, which is one of the biggest lessons to come out of Life Esidimeni,” said Cassey Chambers from SADAG. “We can work together towards fixing our mental health system and prevent another Life Esidimeni tragedy from happening again.”