Psychiatric hospital nurses sit-out after violent inmate attack

Following a brutal attack by a patient on five inmates at the National Psychiatric Hospital (NPH) at Fort Canje, Berbice on Saturday, nurses at the institution staged a sit-out for a second day, yesterday calling for better security and staffing.

Staff at the NPH during a ‘sit-out’ yesterday
Staff at the NPH during a ‘sit-out’ yesterday

On Saturday night, a patient flew into a rage after he was not allowed to “go home” when he requested. He injured fellow patients, Harry Ramanand, 67, of Cumberland, Canje; Errol Leow, 37, of Rose Hall, Corentyne; Gregory Madassa, 40, of Georgetown; Roopnarine Laljit, 28, of Tain, Corentyne and Rickford Charles, of an interior location, who were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital. Ramanand and Leow were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital

(GPH) on Sunday, while Madassa and Laljit were taken to Georgetown yesterday. All of the patients reportedly suffered severe injuries, except Charles, who received stitches to his forehead and was sent back to the institution.

Reports are that the 29-year-old patient of Fyrish, Corentyne had broken out of the institution on Thursday and was taken back by his relatives about an hour before the incident occurred because they found it difficult to control his aggressive behaviour. But he did not like that one bit. Sources said that after the man’s relatives left, he kept telling the nurse that he wanted to go but the nurse responded that he could not because he was “sick and it was best for him to stay and take his treatment.”

Around 11.30 pm, the angry patient headed to the dining hall and kicked the door, breaking it. He then ripped out a piece of wood that had a few nails exposed and ran to a patient who was sleeping and started battering him.

Despite pleas by the nurse for him to stop, he continued bashing other patients, spattering blood all over in the process. The nurse was left with no choice but to run out of the ward, closing the door behind him.

He informed his supervisor of the incident, before seeking the assistance of contractors, who were staying in the compound where they were undertaking repairs, to take him to the Central Police Station, to make a report.

Ranks arrived promptly but by then the man had already destroyed items in the ward, including a television set, chairs and lattice work. He had also broken down the door and was seen escaping from the ward. Police gave chase and captured him along the Canje Bridge. They handcuffed him and took him into custody where he still remained up to yesterday.

Shortage of staff
Staff at the asylum staged a sit-out for the second day yesterday after the incident, lamenting the inadequate security and shortage of staff as their main reason. This newspaper learnt that the nurse was working in the admissions ward alone at the time and “had 28 patients to deal with.” Spokespersons for the striking workers told Stabroek News that the nurse could have been killed had he not run out and closed the door in time.

They emphasized the need for more nurses to be in the wards, saying that had that been the case the patient could have been subdued before becoming violent.
They said medical officials said that there should be one nurse to 10 patients but on the night of the incident “there were only six nurses to 108 patients.” They said that even though there is a staff shortage, two workers were transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

When this newspaper visited the NPH yesterday the workers were shouting “we need justice, we need the Minister of Health [Dr. Leslie Ramsammy]. If he cares so much for health then he should come here… The minister always say [at the award ceremonies at the NA Hospital] that he has the psychiatric hospital at heart so he must prove it… Look how many lives could have been lost.”

Efforts to contact Ramsammy yesterday for comment proved futile. The administration of the NPH was also not available for comment.

Risk allowance
and rapes
The staff also said that the lives of the other workers, especially the nurses, are at risk and it is not fair for them to work under such conditions.
They said that only the nurses receive a risk allowance and that figure is a meagre $500 per month. They are asking that the allowance be raised to at least $5,000 monthly. They recalled that during last month a patient threw hot tea on a nurse and her face was badly damaged.

Sources said “the fence is too far from the hospital and the back gate is broken and intruders can come in here and do the nurses anything.”
Shockingly, they revealed that two weeks ago “a man jumped the fence, ripped off zinc sheets from the roof [of the female ward] and raped four patients.”
One of the patients later related the ordeal to the nurses and a report was made to the administration. They said sadly that even if the perpetrator was caught the matter would have been dropped because of the [mental] condition of the patients.

According to the sources, the female nurses are afraid for their lives and feel that “if there is no proper security then the nurses could end up being raped as well. We don’t want what happened in Linden to happen here as well.”

Industrial Relations Officer of the Guyana Public Service Union Ram Mangru told the media yesterday that he was informed that the inadequate security was due to financial constraints but that the police would be sent to the institution to make periodic checks. He said the shortage of staff and security and improper lighting at the facility need to be addressed. He said the industrial action would continue until they get results and staff would also seek solidarity from sister hospitals.

Relatives
Phillip Campaign, a relative of Gregory Madassa who was at the Intensive Care Unit of the NA Hospital waiting to be transferred, said that his nephew was at the NPH for about five years.

He said that most of Madassa’s other relatives are in Canada and Madassa had visited them on at least four occasions.
Campaign said he was “saddened over the fact that civil society is to be blamed totally for what happened. It is an indication that we are not committed enough to ensure that the institution that we need to build and support is being run properly.” Campaign added that the incident was “waiting to happen for the longest time” and said that those in authority “should have the time and compassion to investigate to see what is going on.”

Ganga Persaud Laljit said that his son, Roopnarine was admitted a patient at the NPS on April 7. He said that his son’s condition had been improving rapidly and he was distressed at what happened to him.

He was not informed about the incident by the hospital’s authorities and it was not until mid-morning on Sunday when a relative took food for Roopnarine that they learnt about it. When he got the message he went straight to the hospital and saw the extent of his son’s injuries which include a fractured jaw. He was also bleeding from his ear and nose.