BY STYLE REPORTER
INGUTSHENI Psychiatric Hospital, which of late has been under the spotlight over abuse of mentally challenged patients by staff will soon have closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in wards courtesy of a former inmate.
Sipho Mazibuko, a top modelling instructor, said a United Kingdom-based benefactor will soon install CCTV cameras in the hospital’s wards as part of efforts to monitor the wellbeing of psychiatric patients.
The Bulawayo-based hospital is the country’s largest psychiatric referral health institution.
“The abuse of patients at Ingutsheni is rife and I approached some donors who expressed their willingness to provide funding needed for installation of cameras in all the wards,” said Mazibuko who was twice admitted at the mental health institution.
“This will go a long way in curbing any form of abuse of patients. The installation programme is expected to be completed by the end of this year.”
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Some patients were reportedly beaten by staff members and forced to wash plates as well as linen while others were made to clean wards and this was confirmed by institution’s authorities.
The hospital’s CEO Nemache Mawere said they will ensure that patients’ rights are respected and protected.
“We were advised that there is a donor who made a commitment to put in place closed circuit cameras in all wards so that the rights of mentally challenged patients are protected,” said Mawere.
Mazibuko, who has publicly disclosed that she is a bipolar patient, is also founder of Mental Voices Trust, which caters for the needs and welfare of mental health patient.
The former model also appealed to relatives and friends of patients to regularly visit them as this will go a long way in psychologically uplifting the inmates’ spirits.
“Some patients have been dumped by their relatives who do not even bother to make a follow up or on whether that particular inmate could have been discharged,” said Mazibuko.