adminMOST relatives of mentally ill patients have reportedly abandoned their kin at the country’s largest mental health care referral institution, Ingutsheni Hospital, amid reports that some families have gone for up to three decades without visiting their inmate relatives.
Speaking during an Open Day at Ingutsheni, officials noted with concern the high rate at which most families were discarding their mentally ill relatives.
The institute is also said to be experiencing a staff exodus as a number of its qualified health personnel continue to leave as they are failing to cope with the high demands that come with nursing mentally ill patients.
“We are experiencing an increase in the number of patients who are being neglected by their relatives. Most people abandon their relatives at the hospital and we fail to get in touch with them because they have changed their addresses and phone numbers,” said sister-in-charge for St Francis Home at the institution, Mwanza Shuphiwe.
Director of the Zimbabwe Council for the Blind Mr Aplos Nyathi, who was the guest of honour, shared similar sentiments. He said some patients were abandoned by their relatives and the situation was now economically affecting the institution.
“Few patients have visitors but the majority have been abandoned by their sons and daughters who may be enjoying themselves outside Zimbabwe. Some patients have experienced mental illness because they have lost loved ones and cannot stand it. For some it is because of substances they have been taking,” he said.
“It takes time and resources to run an institution like Ingutsheni and it requires sacrifices and commitment. Right now the hospital is in huge need of finances and material resources.”
In an interview after the tour, the hospital’s chief executive officer, Dr Leonard Mabhadi, said the neglect of patients by relatives had led the institution to look elsewhere for resources.
Said Dr Mabhadi: “Patients are being abandoned and the reason might be that people are afraid of taking them because of the stigma associated with the disease. Due to the economic conditions, some relatives prefer to leave their patients here because they cannot afford to take care of them.”
During the tour, the Sunday News crew observed that the hospital was facing an acute shortage of staff. The number of staff was not enough to take care of the patients who are critically ill, as they have to be bathed, taken to the toilet and fed.
A senior nurse, who refused to be named, said nurses were deserting the hospital because they had to attend to a high number of patients who have similar needs.
“Nurses are on a daily basis asking to leave the institution and some are claiming sick leave because the work load is too much,” said the nurse.
“At Khumalo ward, the staff is not enough at all. About 102 patients are treated by less than 10 nurses. These patients they have to be bathed by male nurses but they are not enough and female nurses are afraid of bathing them because they might be raped.”
Dr Mabhadi conceded that there was a need for the employment of psychiatric nurses.
“Our nursing staff is almost full,” he said. “We just need a few nurses to fill up some vacancies so that we can match the demand. There is also a need for more psychiatric nurses because that is where most patients are.”
The hospital’s clinical director, Dr Naboth Chaibva, said the institution was facing a challenge during winter as most heaters were not working leading to patients relying on blankets which do not provide enough warmth.
“We appeal to donors to come forward and assist us in repairing our heaters which are malfunctioning. Patients are now depending on blankets and during winter, blankets cannot provide enough warmth,” Dr Chaibva said.
He also said the mentally ill children at the institution have to visit recreational areas like all other children so that they can feel normal but due to a shortage of resources the institution was failing to take them out.
“These children need to see what is happening outside the hospital and by so doing at least they have to feel normal just like anyone else. Sometimes they must be taken to places like recreational parks, but the hospital cannot do that because there is no transport,” Dr Chaibva said.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter