About 200 people have been rescued from a suspected illegal rehabilitation centre in South Africa, in a case that has shocked health officials and the public.
The BBC reported that some of the patients were found in chains, with sores across their bodies, living in overcrowded rooms at the facility. The conditions described by rescuers suggest the centre was operating far outside any recognised standard of care.
Unregistered rehabilitation facilities are a persistent problem in South Africa, where families desperate for help with addiction often turn to centres that operate without licences, medical staff or oversight. Previous crackdowns have found patients subjected to forced labour, beatings and confinement.
Authorities have not yet released full details of arrests or charges in this case. The rescued patients are expected to receive medical assessment, and officials say investigations into how the centre operated — and for how long — are under way.
