Staff at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg have been exposed to a surge in violent attacks by psychiatric patients, with 32 assaulted in the past year, Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi said in a written reply in the Gauteng Legislature, reports MedicalBrief.
The number of incidents had “shot up” after last year’s fire at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, which forced that hospital to close its psychiatric unit.
Mokgethi wrote, in reply to a DA question:
“A guard was stabbed with a knife and ended up in casualty with a collapsed lung. His assailant escaped from the psychiatric ward, but was apprehended by police at the hospital entrance. A psychiatric patient picked up a wheelchair and tried to throw it at a staff member, breaking off a bar from his bed and wielded it as a weapon. Other staff members had reported being scratched and molested by the patients.
“One of the reasons for the increase in mental health patients is also the large scale use of illegal substances, and closure of South Rand Hospital due to broken lifts. [It also includes] unavailability of beds at specialised psychiatric hospitals, unwillingness of families to take back family members with mental illness upon discharge, and families bringing mentally unwell members to Helen Joseph hospital from many areas outside our feeding area, including other provinces and neighbouring countries.
“To address the problems in treating an increased number of health patients, five beds for men have been added to the 20 licensed beds in the ward for women. A temporary structure, supposed to house stretchers, has been repurposed to house eight men patients waiting for beds. This structure is located next to our ED [emergency department] but has no ablution facilities or insulation.
“We had attempted to discharge patients who, despite not yet being psychiatrically well, were deemed a low risk to themselves and others. We have opened a discharge clinic on a Monday to review these patients in our out-patient department. This is only done when supportive families have been confirmed.”
Gauteng DA shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom said the figures were “shocking” and staff members “live in fear for their lives because of the violence by psychiatric patients”.
“The situation is bad at the hospital, as there are many broken windows, doors damaged, tampering with electrical cables, and breaking of basins, taps and toilets. A bed and mattress were also burnt. There are only 45 beds for psychiatric patients, but the hospital sees about 90 psychiatric patients every day. Another problem is a shortage of toilets for the patients.”
Bloom said extra staff and security were urgently needed at Helen Joseph hospital, but the real problem was the continuing closure of the psychiatric wards at Charlotte Maxeke hospital and the general shortage of beds in the province for mental health patients.
“It is deplorable that, even after the Life Esidimeni tragedy, psychiatric patients are still treated poorly at unsuitable facilities without proper security, where they are a danger to themselves and others. The Democratic Alliance will continue to campaign for decent facilities with adequate staffing, to ensure that mental health patients are properly cared for in a safe manner.”
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Charlotte Maxeke debacle places ‘enormous load’ on Helen Joseph Hospital (Open access)
DA: 2,000 patients a day unable to be treated at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital
Casualty is the worst for attacks on Gauteng hospital staff
Lack of suitable facilities keeps over 100 psychiatric patients in hospital
Another alleged rape at a Gauteng psychiatric hospital