Komani outrage
Shock at conditions at psychiatric hospital
ALITANY of concerns has been raised about the state of the Komani Psychiatric Hospital by the DA after a visit there by party MP Terri Stander. Stander was removed from the premises after her unannounced “see for myself visit” on the back of various complaints reported to her by the hospital’s staff members.
The hospital is situated on the N6 outside Komani.
Topping the list of complaints was the hospital’s dysfunctional boiler which meant patients had to bath in ice cold water, there are dirty and leaking toilets, leaking roofs, broken windows and flaking paint on the walls.
Stander, who was accompanied by The Rep reporter, arrived at the hospital before 7am last Thursday.
She said the aim of the visit was to check whether there were alternatives to the problems reported – such as providing warm water for patients.
The hospital’s forensic ward – which accommodates 31 patients – was using a 50-litre urn in which to boil water for bathing.
A nurse, who did not want to be named, said the ward had not had hot water from the boiler for over six months. The urn was not big enough to provide water for all the patients. “The urn takes a long time to warm up the water and it is winter now. The boiler has not been working this whole year. There are so many maintenance problems in this hospital like the lights that are not working and a leaking roof,” the nurse said.
Stander also visited wards five and six where patients wore tatty hospital gowns. They said they had not received fresh gowns since they had arrived at the hospital. The patients were also battling the cold.
But before she could visit more wards, Stander was stopped by nurses who wanted to know who she was. They ordered her to ask permission from the operations manager, acting CEO Mavuso Malindi, who said anyone who wanted to visit the hospital – whether an MP or not – had to ask for permission, in writing.
“I do not care where you say you come from, even the MEC for Health announces her visit prior to her coming here. I will not entertain you or what you are here to do until we receive a written letter seeking permission,” he warned.
One of the hospital’s staff members, who also wanted to remain anonymous, indicated a delegation from the provincial legislature had visited the hospital in June last year, but claimed they did not make the time to listen to grievances from staff.
He said the hospital was experiencing a shortage of nurses. Some wards with 50 patients only had one professional nurse and a general assistant.
“There are so many wrongdoings at this hospital which affect staff and, most importantly, the patients.”
He alleged that recently a company cut down the pine trees on the premises, with the wood cut into planks. Information received by the staff was that one truckload of planks was apparently sold for R35 000 – yet, he said, the health department had no knowledge of such a transaction. This was queried in a meeting, he alleged, whereafter the cutting of the trees stopped.
The source also alleged that some incidents of corruption had occurred in the awarding of tenders.
He claimed in a recent incident, eight new lawn mowers valued at more than R50 000 were allegedly stolen from a storeroom and the alarm did not go off. He said clothing, blankets and shoes kept for patients in a storeroom had also been stolen. “One would wonder why those items were not handed over to the patients who really need them if they had always been there.”
Stander on the other hand, said as a public servant, she had the right to visit any institution, especially those that are government-run, if there were allegations of corruption and victimisation of mentally ill patients.
“I am going to open a case against the CEO Nosisana Toni, operations manager Malindi and everyone implicated because the patients are living in a dire situation that could be fixed if the leadership wanted to. What I saw at the hospital was shocking and no human should be in such a place,” the DA MP said.
Health spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said queries about the hospital would be escalated to the MEC’s office which would investigate the claims after which action would be taken.