Johannesburg - Gauteng public hospital staff and patients fear for their safety after attacks by psychiatric patients.
According to the DA, there have been 43 attacks by psychiatric patients at 17 public hospitals since January last year. Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi disclosed this information earlier this week in response to DA concerns about the attacks.
It is alleged psychiatric patients are not adequately confined in secure psychiatric wards. As a result, attacks also occur in departments other than psychiatric units. A radiographer working at Leratong Hospital in the West Rand, who preferred to be identified only as Nora, said staff had to be careful when handling mentally ill patients.
“You can’t afford to take your eyes off a mentally ill patient, otherwise anything may happen. Tuesdays are our ‘psychy days’ meaning it’s the day we set aside for psychiatric inpatients to have their X-rays done. When we have mental health patients come in for their brain scans, we make sure we do it as quickly as possible for the patient’s safety and that of the staff because a mentally ill patient could easily attack someone,” she said.
The hospitals, which include Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Sebokeng Hospital, and Bertha Gxowa Hospital, have each had at least two attacks on staff. When asked how they ensured safety measures were put in place, the staffer said they would restrain the patient if necessary, and would also make sure other patients were in their wards, with little contact with mental health patients.
Other hospitals with violent incidents include Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital where there were four attacks, including one on a speech therapist who was bitten on the finger, and Bheki Mlangeni Hospital in Jabulani, Soweto, where there were four attacks.
Upon visiting Bheki Mlangeni Hospital, the “Sunday Independent” found corridors quiet, with patients walking on their own, while some were assisted by members of staff. A nurse at the hospital, walking by to do a regular check-up on a patient in a ward, said she remembered one of the four attacks that occurred at the hospital last September as she was on duty that day.
“A mentally ill patient tried to smack a nurse taking care of him. These are random attacks that no one anticipates will happen. Sometimes it takes place while you’re giving a patient some medication, or when taking them for their regular observation. It can go from scratching, to slapping, to kicking and even biting,” said Nonkululeko Bhitya.
A patient who was visited by a friend said attacks by mentally ill patients on staff or other patients were becoming the norm, but that did not scare him.
“I’ve heard of a nurse being attacked by ihlanya (a mentally ill person) in the hospital. In my ward, we haven’t had such an incident, thank God. If there’s anything suspicious, we always alert the nurse or ward staff because no one wants to be a victim. It’s enough that we are here because we are unwell. We don’t need to be injured at hospitals due to attacks that can be prevented,” said Bonga Sikwaza.
Staff have been kicked, punched and head-butted, while some had a patient try to strangle them. The Far East Rand Hospital is also among the 17 hospitals whose staff have been attacked by psychiatric patients who were not kept in properly secured psychiatric wards. Three of four attacks at the hospital were bites, and the other attack left an employee with an injury to their upper lip.
DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom said the party had called for a safety audit of the province’s hospitals.
“We as the DA propose that a proper safety audit of hospitals be conducted, and where security risk is high, especially in hospitals that receive psychiatric patients, adequate steps be taken to ensure the safety of both hospital personnel and patients,” he said.
The National Department of Health did not respond to queries sent by the “Sunday Independent” by the time of publication.