The number of patients who have died following the Gauteng health department’s decision to move Life Esidimeni patients to a number of unlicensed NGOs has risen to 141.

This was according to Dr Ernest Kenoshi, the acting head of the Gauteng health department, who was testifying at the alternative dispute resolution hearing in Johannesburg on Friday.

"We do keep record of them, and those are the deaths we have record of," he said.

"It hasn’t been easy [keeping record]," Kenoshi said.

On Thursday, Malebona Precious Matsoso, director general of the national health department, told the hearing that there were still 59 patients unaccounted for, while their Sassa grants were still being withdrawn.