Frontier Hospital psychiatric ward problems continue
A video posted on social media by a patient in Frontier Hospital’s psychiatric ward shows that the windows have no curtains, the corridors are dark, and patients have to use their wash basins to relieve themselves.
In the video, the patient says there is no security at night, with the patients locked in the ward on their own, and no nurse attending to them in the early hours of the morning.
The water supply to the urinals is also shut, with patients having to use their wash basins instead, she says.
The toilets are in a bad state and some patients sleep the whole day.
“We feel like prisoners here. How can we sleep in an unsafe place like this?
“It’s 4am, the rooms are dark and all our rights are trampled upon,” she says.
She says despite patients’ attempts to alert staff during the early hours of the morning, they receive no response.
“Now it’s 4am and we are still not attended to,” she says.
Last week, The Rep reported that the family of a Frontier Hospital patient are demanding answers after their daughter was allegedly raped by a security guard over a period of two years while a patient at the facility. According to Mthuthuzeli Hokolo, who contacted The Rep on behalf of the family, they had reported the matter to health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth, the hospital management and the security company but nothing was done about it.
The MEC’s spokesperson, Mkhululi Ndamase, said: “We do not condone any form of abuse.
“Gender-based violence is condemned with the contempt it deserves.
“When this alleged incident was brought to the attention of the department, we acted immediately by asking the security company the alleged person works for to launch an investigation into this serious matter.”
He said the department’s CEO had been in contact with Hokolo, who was representing the family.
“We can also confirm that this matter is now the subject of a criminal investigation so we won’t be able to comment extensively.
“We ask that we give the police the space they need to investigate this serious matter,” he said.
The security company concerned has not responded to numerous attempts by The Rep to get comment.
According to a source within the company, the site manager was suspended and has appeared in a disciplinary hearing.
The guard had also appeared before the disciplinary committee and was arrested on Monday.
Hokolo confirmed that the guard was arrested in Mthatha and appeared in the Queenstown magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
The man, whose name is known to The Rep, appeared in the bail court on Tuesday and his case was postponed to February 12.
He cannot be named until he has pleaded.
Provincial department of health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo did not respond to questions sent to him about the state of the psychiatric ward.
Hokolo welcomed the arrest of the suspect and promised to follow up on the case until justice was served.
We feel like prisoners here. How can we sleep in an unsafe place like this