MAN SUING GOOD SHEPHERD E2M FOR PSYCHIATRIC REFERRAL

MBABANE – A man is suing the Good Shepherd Mission Hospital E2 million for having him admitted to the National Psychiatric Hospital.

Sikhumbuzo Sihlongonyane of Ensenga, under Chief Mandanda, alleged that he spent four days at the psychiatric centre, waiting for a doctor to examine him. After the examination, he said he was found to be mentally stable and released from the institution.

“This is to confirm the above named (Sihlongonyane) was seen at our hospital on November 19, 2011. A full mental status examination revealed no psychotic disorder,” read a medical officer’s report after an examination at the National Psychiatric Hospital. In his particulars of claim, Sihlongonyane alleged that he was referred to the psychiatric centre after Siteki police, who were investigating a criminal matter of common assault, reported by one Gugu Longwe took him in to assist them with an investigation.

He alleged that during questioning, he became agitated and infuriated since the police insisted that he was the perpetrator of the crime despite that he tried several times to convince them that he was innocent.
He pointed out that the police did not utilise unorthodox means of interrogation and applied no force but they only insulted him and threatened him with violence.

While the investigation proceeded, Sihlongonyane alleged that the police wrongly suspected that he was mentally unstable and needed to be booked at the psychiatric hospital for reformation through medication.
However, before he could be referred to the centre, he was required to be diagnosed by a health practitioner and facilitate the referral.

He alleged that he was informed by the police that the psychiatric centre was a referral hospital admitting patients from other clinics and hospitals.
Sihlongonyane alleged that he was taken to Good Shepherd Mission Hospital for diagnosis but he was never examined by any practitioner.
He further alleged that the hospital staff merely filled in a form for his admission to the mental health institution.

“I was on the strength of the defendant (Good Shepherd Mission Hospital)’s letter, admitted to the National Psychiatric Hospital and taken there for about four days and released after the medical staff of the National Psychiatric Hospital examined me and found that I had no mental challenges whatsoever,” Sihlongonyane claimed.

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