Johannesburg - A mentally ill patient fell to his death after breaking the burglar bars of the floor he was on at Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus.
Allegations are that the incident happened on Monday evening when a 38-year-old man went to the smoking area on the first floor then fell on the ground level.
According to the hospital, paramedics were called to attend the patient and despite CPR being performed on him, he died.
The hospital's CEO Dr Nomonde Mqhayi Mbambo said they were taken aback by what happened and that they have provided counselling to the family of the man.
“We are taken aback by this incident, it’s the first of its kind, we have never had a case of a patient falling from our wards. We take each death of a patient in our facilities in a serious light. The circumstances that might have led to the patient damaging the silicone burglar and ultimately falling to his death on the lower ground will be thoroughly investigated,” she said.
The hospital has reported the matter to the police and deceased’s family has been informed.
“What we have done for the family, we have provided council and assigned a health wellness staff member to help with the logical funeral arrangements. We just had a meeting with Department of Infrastructure Development. We are reinforcing security at the hospital,” said Mqhayi Mbambo.
DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom said he was “horrified and saddened” by the incident.
“This tragic incident follows avoidable deaths and injuries of mental health patients at the South Rand, Bheki Mlangeni and Tembisa hospitals in Gauteng. I have warned repeatedly about inadequate facilities for psychiatric patients in Gauteng hospitals,” he said.
Bloom has called for a full investigation into this latest incident “as well as the suitability of facilities for mental patients in all Gauteng hospitals.”
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