A DISCHARGED 59-year-old psychiatric patient allegedly raped a 39-year-old patient at the South Rand Hospital, The Hill on Wednesday afternoon, January 20.
The incident reportedly occurred at the accident and emergency unit while a patient was waiting to be transferred to a ward. A patient who witnessed the incident alerted employees, who swiftly intervened. The police were called in and attended to the complaint accordingly.
“The department regrets the incident and will fully cooperate with authorities to ensure that the case is dealt with expeditiously. We will be offering counselling to all the affected parties,” said the Gauteng Health MEC, Qedani Mahlangu.
Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health was disturbed by the incident and called for a full investigation and better security to minimise the risk posed by psychiatric patients who can be unpredictable and violent.
“I am horrified by the alleged rape of an epileptic patient by a psychiatric patient at the South Rand Hospital. There has been a dramatic increase of psychiatric patients at the hospital due to the temporary closure of the casualty unit at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital which is undergoing renovations. I warned about the problems this caused when I visited the hospital in July last year. Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, suicidal tendencies and drug addictions are admitted for 72 hours for observation and treatment. These psychiatric patients should be kept separate from ordinary patients in a dedicated ward with tighter security,” Bloom explained.
Further investigations continue.
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