Staff Writer
The situation at Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital is reportedly to be severe as the institution has run out of essential medical consumables for mental patients, The Blast has learnt.
According to sources at the hospital, relatives are now being instructed to buy drugs for the patients as the institution can no longer make that provision.
“The situation here is in the red zone as the hospital has ran out of essential drugs forcing relatives to source them from elsewhere.The patients with relatives who can’t afford the drugs are just left as they are.There is only one type of drug which is provided by the hospital but that is not enough to cater for their illness ,”said the source.
“The other issue is that the hospital does not have injectables which are needed to cater for violent patients.This puts the lives of nurses and doctors at risk,” added another source.
The Blast understands that there is no electricity and running water provision for the past month making life difficult for the patients.
“The other challenge is that there is no electricity for the past month and also running water, forcing patients to use water buckets to wash themselves.This is too cumbersome as 70 patients spend most their time queuing for water which is provided by water tanks outside the hospital campus.As a result of the ensuing commotion, some patients take advantage to escape from the institution.
According to health regulations, any institution must have running water,”said another source.
Provincial Medical Director, Dr Amadeus Shamu confirmed the situation at Ngomahuru.
“The problem of drugs shortages is a perennial one, but I will have to confirm the whole picture with the institution’s medical superintendent,”said Dr Shamu.
Ngomahuru, which is located about 52km south-east of Masvingo, was opened in 1926 and the psychiatric hospital can accommodate around 300 inmates in its three ordinary separate wards.