DA Gauteng shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom will open a missing persons case on Monday to assist in locating the 62 Esidimeni patients who have still not been located.

“It is deplorable that more than 18 months since the tragedy unfolded‚ the Gauteng Department of Health still does not know the whereabouts of these vulnerable patients who will die without decent medical care‚” Bloom said on Sunday.

He added that disability grants were being collected for some of them‚ but that it was not known if fraud was involved and who was still alive or dead.

“The latest police figure is 144 confirmed deaths of former Esidimeni patients. A higher priority is needed to find all the missing patients‚ many of whom may already have died in terrible circumstances‚” Bloom said.