Zimbabwe is sitting on a time bomb after the country’s largest center for mental health referral destination, Ingutsheni Hospital, ran out of vital medication as government ignored the looming disaster.
Ingutsheni Hospital which has a large number of dangerous convicts, is operating without essential medicines thus putting the public, and the nurses at risk of being harmed by patients as tranquilising meds run out.
Below were ZimEye source findings from an inspection carried out last week:
Khumalo Ward which is a male admission ward has a capacity of 95 patients but currently is overflowing to 126 male patients and without tranquilising medication. It puts nurses and paramedical staff at serious risk of assault and harm by these patients who are in the acute phase of illness.
Last week the acting principal nursing officer shocked all and sundry when she told the nurses that they knew and accepted the risks when they applied for the job. This was when she had received reports that nursing staff were afraid of being assaulted by a newly admitted patient who had gone berserk. She even reportedly threatened nurses in Khumalo ward with dismissal if they refused to put themselves in danger.
The essential drugs used in the management of mental illness are major tranquilisers such as chlorpromazine haloperidol; diazepam antiepileptic, phenobarbitone and carbamazepine, antidepressants the likes of immipramine. Most of these drugs are now out of stock.
The situation has worsened such that patients relapse while in hospitalisation. Ironically people are supposed to get better after being admitted and treated. But this has not been the case due to the shortages.
ZimEye has found that these patients are merely incarcerated, a clear infringement of the rights of patients, nurses and the general public. Staff at the institution revealed that the patients are allowed to travel back to their families when they can spend days away with no medication.
When contacted for a comment, the hospital’s nursing management were non -committal. The hospital’s chief executive officer, Noboth Chaibva is on record denying any drug shortage. More to follow…