Thabamoopo Psychiatric Hospital in Polokwane has a split personality. Its sparkling new wing houses acute patients and state patients. But then there is the darker side of the hospital — the wings where chronic, long-term patients and the mentally retarded are kept.
This is the side where you avert your eyes to spare women their dignity, even though they are unaware of your existence as they crawl along dusty paths to find a place to bake in the sun. This is where the bathrooms smell of disinfectant and urine, and the women’s heads are shaved to keep away the lice.
Thabamoopo, which means mountain of the rock, is one of three psychiatric hospitals in the province.
Elias Mmatlou, the superintendent of the hospital, admits that the old buildings “are really shabby”, but the hospital has received R54million for “revitalisation”. A new section dedicated to acute and forensic psychiatry is now in use, and further planned extensions include substance-abuse and psychiatric rehabilitation centres. Most of the patients in the hospital suffer from schizophrenia.
But Thabamoopo is struggling to shake off its old self, and this can clearly be seen in the chronic wards, which house the majority of patients. On top of this, revitalisation means scaling down. Mmatlou says the new facilities will only house 400 patients, to ensure that sufficient care is given. “There are simply not enough staff members for 600 patients,” he says. Like most hospitals, Thabamoopo is short staffed. At the moment there is only one visiting psychiatrist, Dr Elizabeth Weiss, who visits the hospital three times a week.
Fortunately help is on the way. The hospital has been given a budget to advertise for a principal psychiatrist who will work at the hospital full time. Mmatlou is also excited that the hospital will shortly be receiving two posts for senior psychiatrists. (Whether applicants can be found to fill the posts remains to be seen.) Two occupational therapists and physiotherapists have already been appointed.
Head of nursing Kholofelo Moabe says there are simply not enough nursing staff and the hospital particularly needs male nurses to control patients when they get rowdy. There are only 26 trained psychiatric nurses, 28 senior nurses and 56 professional nurses.
The mental retardation ward, which houses profoundly mentally and physically handicapped patients, is especially shocking. During our visit, most of the 23 patients were lying on mattresses, receiving little stimulation. Few can speak and they require constant attention and care. These patients are earmarked to be moved to a facility in Tzaneen that will be able to provide them with more stimulation. The move will also help to get the hospital closer to its mark of 400 patients.
Another way the superintendent hopes to reduce numbers is to return chronic patients back to their families. But he is quick to point out that often the families do not want them back. “They are stigmatised and we have to battle with just getting their families to visit, while it would be in the patients best interest to be at home,” he says. “Building ties with the community and informing them about mental care remains one of our biggest obstacles.”
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