Mayhem rules…Suicides, nurses beaten at Ingutsheni as sedative drugs run out

• Published date: 11 August 2016
• Publication title: The Chronicle

Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo has run out of sedative drugs, which are important in suppressing violent behaviour in psychiatric patients. Staff at the hospital said last week, two nurses were beaten up by patients who are not being given drugs to calm them.

'There are no drugs to sedate the mentally ill patients at the hospital. Matrons are forcing nurses to work under these conditions and threatening to dismiss them if they don't comply.

'Last week two nurses were beaten up by violent patients and the matter was swept under the carpet. The limited tranquilisers that are available have expired but they are still being administered on patients yet they don't have any effect,' said a source.

Ingutsheni Hospital does not charge patients for its services and the institution depends entirely on the government's budgetary allocation for its recurrent expenditure and capital projects.

Hospital authorities have on several occasions appealed for donations from well-wishers to cater for the needs of patients at the institution.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa recently expressed concern over acute food and medicine shortages at Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo and said the government was struggling to provide for the increasing number of patients at the institution.

The troubles facing the institution have been compounded by some of the patients who have since made the hospital their permanent home...