‘Drug abuse causing mental patient battle’

THERE are an escalating number of mental patients in the province, particularly among teenagers and young men.

This was confirmed by the Eastern Cape Department of Health.

The proliferation of drug abuse in towns and villages was the main cause, provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said.

Kupelo was speaking after a fight broke out among 24 mental patients at the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital (CMH) on Friday.

Kupelo said during the scuffle a ward was damaged, prompting doctors to close it down.

Police and security guards had to be called to calm the fighting patients.

“We are battling with the influx of mental patients due to drugs. That’s a fact,” Kupelo said.

“The fight at CMH left many injured and about 10 patients will be transferred to other psychiatric institutions in Komani [Queenstown], Grahamstown and Fort Beaufort.

“This fight comes a few weeks after a psychiatric patient allegedly killed a guard in Nompumelelo hospital [in Peddie].”

“The department is at the receiving end of these social ills.We are short-staffed and don’t have enough beds for these patients.”

The fight at CMH is believed to have been started by one of the patients.

“In a normal situation, hospitals have to admit a mentally ill patient for observation for 72 hours, but now provincial hospitals are stretched and have to keep them for two to three weeks [before they can be assessed],” Kupelo said.

“After the observation period, normally some of the patients are taken home after their conditions have normalised.

“But this influx is worrisome. We have experienced similar pressure in Port Elizabeth. Our immediate strategy has been to manage all mental health beds as to know our bed occupancy.”

He said hospitals, including Fort England in Grahamstown and the Elizabeth Donkin in Port Elizabeth, were always almost full.