Psychiatry was inept, report says
- From: rpautrey2 <rpautrey2@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:25:15 -0700 (PDT)
Psychiatry was inept, report says
PIUS RUGONZIBWA
Daily News; Wednesday,September 10, 2008 @00:02
Negligence on the part of members of staff at the Psychiatric Unit of
the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) led to the killing of two fellow
inmates by a patient, one David Denge, at the hospital last month.
A report released by a probe committee formed to investigate the
killings recommended that disciplinary action be taken against all
members of staff implicated in the incident.The Minister for Health
and Social Welfare, Prof David Mwakyusa, told reporters yesterday at
the ministry’s offices in Dar es Salaam that the hospitals’ board of
trustees would meet to deliberate on the matter and take the necessary
legal action.
Accompanied by his deputy, Dr Aisha Kigoda and almost all the
ministry’s senior officials, Prof Mwakyusa said he would instruct and
advise the board on the course of action as recommended by the probe
team. Prof. Mwakyusa said the report had revealed that members of
staff had been negligent from the day the patient was admitted at the
unit.
It further said that the patient was not injected with drips as was
earlier claimed by members of staff, and that Denge had capitalized on
the absence of attendants in the ward to find the drip stand with
which he used to attack other patients.“Only one nurse and one
attendant ran out to seek assistance from security guards - whose
response was also tardy –and so failed to show up in time as the
patient continued to attack fellow inmates”, the report said.
The committee interviewed about 75 people and visited various areas
where to obtain critical information on what really transpired that
day. It was led by Dr Jovita Kamugisha Katabaro, a senior lecturer
from the University of Dar es Salaam’s Faculty of Education and
included four other members.
The other members were Mr Nassoro Mnambila from the President’s
Office, Ms Evetha Mushi, State Attorney from the Ministry of Law and
Constitutional Affairs and Dr Joseph Mbatia from the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare and Mr Jovin Lyimo, a Psychiatric Nurse from
Mirembe Hospital and Isanga Institute in Dodoma.
The committee started the work on August 18 and submitted its report
on August 31. The tragic incident occurred on August 11, 2008. Two
patients - Paul Maganga and Abdulkadir Abeid - died on the spot while
Hamis Gangila, Peter Milanzi, Maurice Oyana and Athuman Abdallah were
seriously injured.
Prof Mwakyusa added that the unit, however, has a serious shortage of
staff, and that it has at least eight consultant doctors, nine medical
doctors, seven registered nurses, five social welfare officers and
seven occupational therapists. He said that plans are underway to
employ the needed staff to man the unit and to enable them attend
patients with the needed efficiency. The minister said the report also
showed that staff duty roster did not correspond with the number of
patients at the time of the incident and that the hospital does not
have an alarm system in case of an emergency.
TSN Daily News
http://dailynews.habarileo.co.tz/columnist/index.php?id=7199
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