Psychiatric patient’s attempted escape ends in tragedy

Police have opened an inquest docket after a mental health patient at a facility in Polokwane died while trying to escape.

34-year-old Vuma Morris Molatelo, who was staying at the Thabamoopo Psychiatric Hospital in Lebowakgomo, removed part of a window frame during his escape attempt early on Saturday morning.

The patient then got trapped between the window’s burglar bars, Limpopo Department of Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana told Polokwane Review.

Nursing staff rushed to check on the patient after hearing a noise from the window.

“They discovered the patient trapped and hanging. Police and pathology services were called to the scene,” Shikwambana said.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo told the publication the patient died at the scene, and that investigations into the incident are ongoing.

ALSO READ: DA raises concerns after psychiatric patients assault staff at Helen Joseph Hospital

State of mental health in SA

One in four South Africans suffer from a form of mental ailment, but the cost of mental healthcare remains too high for the average citizen.

According to the Mental Health Price Index of 2022, South Africa ranked 25^th out of 50 countries in terms of mental health treatment and medicine, scoring 76.55 out of 100 for mental healthcare provisions and infrastructure.

ALSO READ: SA’s poor mental health pandemic made worse by high costs and scarcity of treatment

South Africans pay an average of over R800 for an hour-long therapy session.

The index found that out of every 100 000 people, 46 000 South Africans suffered from stress, followed by depression at 4 132 and 3 625 suffered from anxiety.

541 out of 100 000 people were diagnosed with bipolar disorder and 221 with schizophrenia.

Mental health conditions have worsened since the start of the Covid pandemic, including in children, said psychologist Dr Lerato Mokgethi.

Edited by Nica Richards. Additional reporting by Rorisang Kgosana.

Part of this article first appeared on Caxton publication Polokwane Review. Read the original article here.