Patient neglect to be punished

2005-10-19 19:36

Johannesburg - Disciplinary action might be taken against the chief executive officer and matron in charge of psychiatry at Dr George Mukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa, said the Gauteng health department on Wednesday.

The department's Simon Zwane said a decision about the disciplinary steps would be taken once an investigation has been completed into why psychiatric patients were kept in unsafe and unhygienic conditions.

"The MEC feels it is unacceptable that such a situation has been allowed to exist in the hospital..." he said.

Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa also would review the performance agreements of hospital chief executives to ensure greater accountability for quality and humane patient care.

Ramokgopa has been in discussions already with the MEC for public works and transport and the process of finding an alternative contractor to renovate the hospital's psychiatric unit is to be speeded up.

Rooms had no toilets

She visited the hospital on Tuesday night after Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang ordered the closure of the seclusion section of the psychiatric ward after a surprise visit.

Ministerial spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said on Tuesday the seclusion rooms had no toilets and the structure was also not in compliance with the Mental Health Act.

"Mentally unstable patients are usually locked up in these rooms overnight," he said.

"But these rooms do not have toilets. In one, we actually found faeces on the floor because the patient was unable to get out to relieve himself."

The windows were also unsafe for psychiatric patients, allowing them to break the panes and possibly injure themselves or to escape.

Contract was not honoured

Mngadi said the patients would be moved to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria. Mukhadi Hospital is a general one, but has a psychiatric unit.

A tender to do maintenance at the hospital and upgrade the seclusion rooms was given to a contractor by the department of public works, but he had failed to honour the contract.

Tshabalala-Msimang had decided to visit the hospital after the mental health unit of the department reported that conditions at the hospital were not satisfactory.

- SAPA