Drug abuse accounts for 85% of Sbrana patients
Tumelo Mouwane | Friday June 17, 2016 14:39
Speaking at a hand over ceremony yesterday where a Ramotswa-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Letlhapisa Le Lengwe, donated sanitary items worth P8,000 to the hospital, outpatient psychiatric nurse, Mpho Masedi said patients at Sbrana use drugs or have used drugs in the past.
“In the past few years we have been carrying out research at our outpatient department and we have realised that statistically, three out of five people consulted or admitted daily in Sbrana use drugs or have used drugs in the past, whilst 85% of patients admitted have used drugs and some continue to use drugs even while admitted into the hospital.
“These drugs find entry into the hospital in several ways and some of the patients, despite all the no-smoking signs all over the hospital continue to use drugs and smoke within the premises illegally.
The community continues to treat mental illness on a simple perspective, but time has far passed.
It is high time people learn that mental illness is a living reality,” Masedi said. The use of drugs, cigarettes and other intoxicants amongst patients has prevailed over the years at Sbrana. Several drugs, marijuana use being the drug most disturbing to the hospital’s authorities, find entry into the hospital in many ways.
These include through people who visit the patients and some hospital staff that sells to patients in the hospital premises. Officials said the drug trade taking place within the hospital premises is a drawback in rehabilitation of psychiatric patients as the drugs continue to further worsen their conditions.
At the occasion, the NGO coordinator, Tebogo Motsumi said they saw the need to preserve the patient’s dignity with sanitary items as they are a basic need that some patients find hard to have since their families stay in far away places.
“We acknowledge that Sbrana is a national referral hospital that admits patients from all the mental health facilities across the country. Patients come as far as Gantsi, Shakawe and other places hence it is a challenge for most family members to visit their patients often. We acknowledge that some patients find it hard to survive in regard to their daily needs like sanitary necessities hence our donation,” she said. Motsumi further said the donation was contributed by stakeholders in Ramotswa.