Durban - After finding that there was absolutely no compliance when it came to the Mental Health Act at Madadeni Hospital’s Psychiatric wing in March, the Health Portfolio Committee on Wednesday said that it was monitoring closely management’s turnaround strategy.
Chairperson Nomakiki Majola said that during the walkabout in March looking at infrastructure and staffing, it was clear that the hospital was not built as a mental hospital.
“There is absolutely no compliance and this becomes worse when we are talking about the forensic patients that are staying with voluntary patients”.
She said the security risk for patients, nurses and even staff among themselves, was a problem as far as compliance went.
The hospital has involuntary patients as well as forensic patients, Majola said.
Forensic patients were those taken in for observation before they went to court. With the doctor’s observation the court was then able to decide whether the person could answer for their allegations.
“It’s done for 30 days. In Madadeni they are admitting also patients who could not be taken into the community because of their mental status.”
She said members from the national Department of Health were also present, after the committee had reached out to it following the March visit.
According to the hospital’s CEO, a “Miss Khami”, the institution’s budget for the financial year 2022/23 was about R746 million, a reduction when compared to previous year’s approximately R872m.
She explained that R60m was allocated for mental health staff with an under expenditure projected from what was being spent right now, and this would give them allowance to make some appointments.
“We want to make sure that everyone under mental healthcare services is linked to the correct budget, because sometimes we call in nurses from general to go to mental that’s why it is important to link everyone to the budget, so we can assess the kind of budget we need,” she said.
Majola said that the national government committed on Wednesday to make sure that compliances were met, returning to assess what needed to be done as a priority.
“We have identified the gaps and hope they will no longer be there.
“National would go with provincial officials and district officials as well as management to check what’s not in compliance and how normal compliance can be brought about.
“What has not been done is now going to be done. We keep on checking the progress of their plan of action.”
Daily News