‘Expertise and safeguards’ at facilities questioned after patient jumps to his death
The “reported death of a mentally ill patient…after jumping from a window at the South Rand Hospital” raises questions about the “adequacy of facilities and the treatment expertise for psychiatric patients”. Jack Bloom said that‚ according to the Gauteng Health Department‚ “the man was admitted on April 24 as a psychiatric patient and then transferred to a general ward with no signs of psychosis after assessment”.“On Wednesday this week‚ he was transferred to a general ward for renal failure treatment where he allegedly locked himself in a toilet and then jumped out the window‚ dying instantly.”Bloom said he had warned‚ in July last year‚ about potential problems the “large increase of mentally patients due to the temporary closure of the casualty unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital” would cause at South Rand Hospital.“It is very disturbing that this happened three months after another mentally ill patient raped a patient at the same hospital‚” said Bloom‚ a Democratic Alliance MPL.“We need assurance from the department that the hospital has the expertise and proper safeguards to treat large numbers of psychiatric patients.” - TMG Digital..
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