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The Life Healthcare Esidimeni Scandal involved the deaths of 141 people at psychiatric facilities in the Gauteng province of South Africa from causes including starvation and neglect. It is named for Life Esidimeni, the private healthcare provider from which patients were removed by the state.

The incident has been called "the greatest cause of human rights violation" in democratic South Africa.

In October 2015 the Gauteng department of health terminated an outsourced care contract with Life Esidimeni in order to save money and give effect to a policy to "deinstitutionalise" psychiatric patients. Some 1 300 patients were transferred to the care of their families, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other hospitals. The process was subsequently found to have been a total shambles.

In September 2016 Gauteng health head Qedani Mahlangu first reported that several of the transferred patients had died.

Later investigation revealed many attempts to warn the health department of the consequences of transferring patients to NGOs incapable of providing the specialised care they required. These warnings were ignored, and in one instance the department was found to have misled a court in order to prevent it from being interdicted.

By October 2017 post-mortem examinations had been conducted on only 26 of the deceased.

According to death certificates patients died of causes including hypothermia and dehydration, although many certificates listed natural causes.