18 December 2007
Eastern Cape authorities were still searching for 29 TB patients who escaped
from the Jose Pearson Hospital in the Nelson Mandela municipality, after 20
returned on Tuesday, the Eastern Cape health department said.
Spokesperson for the department, Siyanda Manana, said on Friday, that the 49
patients, all Extreme Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (X-DR) and Multi Drug
Resistant Tuberculosis (M-DR) patients had started leaving the hospital in
small groups between Wednesday and Friday last week.
It was subsequently discovered the patients had escaped through holes they
had cut through the hospital's perimeter fences.
Since Friday, notices to return, issued by the state attorney's office, were
delivered to the patients' homes. "So far 20 have returned; we are expecting
more to come back soon," said Manana.
In the meantime, the security company contracted by the health department,
at the time of the escape, has been suspended.
"We have now increased the number of guards on duty from seven to 17 per
shift," said Manana, adding that the department hoped that the beefed up
security would prevent further escape plans being successfully executed.
Although a Christmas party had been organised for patients to celebrate
Christmas with their families at the hospital, Manana said that these plans had
to be "put on hold".
"We will have to reassess whether we can have such a function at a later
stage; at the moment the hospital has had a lot of disruption. We need things
to settle down," he said.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
18 December 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecpg.gov.za)
