Call to identify UBH patient

The man, identified as Mr James Mugariri was picked up by a “Good Samaritan” in August in 2010 in Lupane and is believed to be 28 years old.
It is alleged that those who helped him get to the hospital found him with wounds all over and there was a piece of paper next to him with his name. A source at the hospital said authorities had failed him and contributed to the man’s pain.
“We have been observing that this man has no one who visits to bring food and check on how he is recovering. Our bosses have failed him because they are reluctant to locate his relatives,” said the woman.
She said from the time the man came to hospital, he was treated but no one made a follow-up to inform or locate his relatives.
“I think the relatives of this man think he is dead because when he was picked up, he was badly beaten and unconscious. He has spent a whole year here not considering that he was in other hospitals before he came here and he is now losing memory,” she said.
In his response to written questions, the acting chief executive for UBH Dr Narcisius Dzvanga confirmed the hospital had such a patient.
He said the patient had no identity documents. “According to Kusile Rural District, St Paul’s Hospital, the patient was found in an unconscious state by the kraal head and villagers of Mavikaneni area in the bush.
“This was on 29 August in 2010 and since Mr Mugariri was found unconscious, a report was made to the police by the kraal head,” said Dr Dzvanga.
He said the patient was then taken to St Luke’s Hospital in Lupane and later transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital on 26 October the same year.
“Mr Mugariri was then transferred to UBH on 11 January in 2011. When we examined him we found that he had sustained a head injury, with a depressed skull fracture.When he came here he was not communicating and it was not clear where the patient had originally come from,” said Dr Dzvanga.
He said the hospital authorities had failed to locate his next of kin or his relatives from the time he was admitted to the hospital.
“Our doctors successfully carried out an elevation of the depressed skull on 17 January 2011 and the patient’s condition has been improving. He is now suffering from loss of memory and is being treated from the Infectious Diseases Hospital for now,” he said.
Dr Dzvanga also said the hospital was planning on making arrangements with the Department of Social Welfare to help the patient.