The family of 62-year-old Nelson Govender approached Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) seeking immediate assistance.
Govender, a resident of Trenance Park – KZN was hospitalised on Saturday at Osindisweni Government Hospital (OGH) for acute abdominal pains. At approximately 09:46 earlier today, Haresh Jankeypershad of Willow Close in Trenance Park – KZN arrived at RUSA Headquarters with three other females. Jankeypershad, a tow truck operator is the son-in-law of the hospitalised man.
He informed Reaction Officers that his father-in-law has been attacked repeatedly since his admission. He added that the situation worsened over the weekend after four men admitted to the Psychiatric Ward in the same hospital attacked him and robbed him of food. Govender then informed his family telephonically that his and other patients’ lives were in danger and some had sought a forced discharge fearing for their safety.
This morning, the family received a desperate call from Govender pleading for assistance believing he was about to be stabbed by men who had breached a security gate at the Psychiatric Ward once again. He repeatedly screamed that he was about to be “poked” by other patients. The family then drove to RUSA and sought assistance.
According to Jankeypershad, he then drove to Osindisweni Government Hospital (OGH) with his mother-in-law, wife, and daughter. They lodged a complaint with hospital management. They were allegedly refused visitation to confirm the well-being of Nelson Govender and were asked to wait for visiting hours.
Jankeypershad further alleged that psychiatric patients were allowed to walk free in the hospital and have attacked & assaulted other visitors in his presence. A Paramedic has previously complained that backup had to be called in to remove a psychiatric patient after he entered an ambulance and refused to exit while a seriously injured patient was being offloaded.
The image of a missing bar from the security gate segregating psychiatric patients from the rest of the hospital was forwarded to RUSA. Jankeypershad is adamant that these psychiatric patients forced their way through the gate and attacked his father-in-law.
Jankeypershad is awaiting an update from Osindisweni Government Hospital (OGH).