Question NW3365 to the Minister of Health
03 November 2023 - NW3365
Lees, Mr RA to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether, with reference to a video that was allegedly recorded in a ward in the Ladysmith Provincial Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, in which a naked boy who was tied to a hospital bed and being assaulted by two security guards (details furnished), the actions by the security guards are regarded as appropriate; if not, what are the details of the action that has been and/or will be taken to (a) hold the responsible security guards accountable, (b) hold the hospital management and nursing staff accountable and (c) prevent such treatment of patients being repeated in the specified hospital and/or in any State hospital in the Republic; (2) what are the reasons that the (a) boy was being held captive on the hospital bed and (b) nursing staff did not intervene to stop the assault on the boy; (3) whether the boy is still in the hospital; if not, (a) where is he currently being treated and (b) what is the reason that he was discharged from the hospital; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
1. (a) According to the KZN Department of Health, the two Security Officers implicated have since been suspended by the Private Security Company and are in the process of being subjected to a disciplinary inquiry. A case was opened (CAS No.586/9/2023) with South African Police Service following the incident and the Security Officers were arrested, detained, and thereafter released on bail. The Security Officers also appeared before Mental Health Review Board.
(b)-(c) The Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health has instituted an investigation into this matter to determine the role of the five nurses that were on duty on the night of the incident. The five nurses have been precautionarily suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
2. (a) The patient in question was admitted under Mental Health Care Act for 72-hour observation, as he presented with a history of aggressive behavior, intimidating other children at the Morester Children’s home, threatening to stab them and he had numerous abscondments from the Centre. At the time of the incident, the patient was mechanically restrained with the restraining devices to subdue his movement for the primary purpose of behaviour control.
(b) The Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health has instituted an investigation into this matter to determine the role of the five nurses that were on duty on the night of the incident. The five nurses have been precautionarily suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
(3) (a) The patient was transferred and admitted to the Child and Adolescent unit at a King Dinuzulu Hospital in Durban.
(b) The patient was transferred to a more specialised psychiatric care.
END.