A mental healthcare patient who had been reported missing at Hayani Psychiatric Hospital in Limpopo was found five days later, hanging from a bed sheet in one of the institution’s service duct passages.
The Limpopo Health Department said he had been reported missing on the Tuesday and was found only on the Saturday. The man had been admitted with a history of violence including attempts to murder relatives, reports News24.
Provincial Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambanasaid after he had been reported missing, an intensive search was conducted throughout the week by the hospital and also the SAPS K9 unit. His family was immediately informed and messages were circulated to the public in efforts to find him.
On Saturday, security personnel detected a bad smell from a service duct passage, and when they forced open the door, which had been locked from the inside, they found the body. The man had used a sheet to hang himself.
Shikwambana said a psychologist is supporting the family.
Meanwhile, the department says it has been forced to suspend the on-call system at Makgope Clinic in the Greater Tzaneen area, after armed men entered the premises and assaulted security staff before robbing them of their cellphones and demanding their weapons.
“We are suspending the on-call duty system so that the department can devise measures to guarantee the safety of clinic staff. Crime at health institutions has been a thorn in the side of the department, especially in its efforts to have clinics function at night,” he said.
News24 article – Missing patient found dead at Limpopo hospital (Open access)
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