Psychiatric ward hell

The psychiatric department of the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital is accused of administering psychiatric drugs to patients without any psychoanalyses done by psychiatrists or psychologists, neither of whom is available at the hospital.This has been revealed by several patients who have fallen victim of this practice. They indicated to Namibian Sun, that just because of social hardships in their lives, they ended up on psychiatric treatment. Four individual patients said psychiatry injections were administered to them upon their arrival at the hospital - for the first time - without any evaluation performed by a medical professional. The health ministry has confirmed to Namibian Sun that the hospital's psychiatric department or 'Ward 16', as it is popularly known, has been operating without a psychologist since the ward was established many years ago.It is reported that in most cases the hospital administers Largactil as an adjunct for anxiety, psychomotor agitation, excitement, violent or dangerously impulsive behaviour and also schizophrenia. Largactil is a schedule 5 drug that has a wide range of side effects including dizziness, drowsiness, anxiety, insomnia breast swelling or discharge, changes in menstrual cycle, weight gain, swelling in your hands or feet, dry mouth or stuffy nose, blurred vision' constipation and impotence.According to Windhoek psychiatrist Dr Reinhardt Sieberhagen, Largactil is the first anti-psychotic drug ever to appear on the market and was launched as far back as 1954. Side effects“The side effects connected to this medication are severe and if the patient uses the drug for too long, these side effects can become permanent. It is not the kind of drug you want to use injudiciously,” he said.Another problem Sieberhagen highlighted was misdiagnosis.“If you have a patient that presents psychotic symptoms due to severe stress, you can give him a prescription for Valium and after a few days the patient will be fine. However, if you begin Largactil treatment, there is no way a psychiatrist will be able to distinguish between symptoms of stress and something as severe as schizophrenia. In other words, you commit a patient to a diagnosis and a drug for the rest of his life.”According to a 27-year-old woman, she passed Grade 12 in 2008 with good marks, but, as there was no one to pay for tuition fees at university, she was forced to stay home. She began to cry constantly and until her aunt took her to the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.“Upon arrival, my aunt told the nurses that I was mentally disturbed because I had been crying non-stop for three days. The nurses took me and injected me. I fell asleep and when I woke, I was admitted into Ward 16, getting psychiatric medical treatment already. It was painful for me to discover this and the more I cried the more they injected me,” she said.After she was released from the hospital she decided not to take the medication any longer. “I have felt better ever since.”Another victim, 43, said that in June 2000, she lost her job. Life became very difficult for her as a single mother.“Life was tough. Nobody could provide the basic needs for my child and I. One evening while we were sleeping in one room with my mom, my four siblings, their children and I began to pray. Sometime during the prayer I began to scream and the next day they took me to the hospital.” 'Horrible pain'As with the previous woman, upon their arrival, her mother and sister told the nurses she was mentally disturbed. “They injected me and when I woke up I was in horrible pain. I decided that I am not going to eat, drink or take their medicines. They continued injecting me and I had to stay in the hospital for three months. When they discharged me I refused to take their medication. In 2008 I was taken to the hospital and again it was the same and I spent another month in Ward 16. The doctor only comes to us asking how we are feeling. There are no evaluations at all,” she said. A young man, 24, was addicted to drugs and when he became violent his parents took him to the hospital.“I was injected and they locked me in an isolation room. I slept and when I woke up I was in the psychiatric ward. I was furious and I decided to escape from the hospital, which I did,” he said. The health ministry's spokesperson, Ester Paulus said that there is no psychologist or psychiatrist at the Oshakati hospital's psychiatric ward. “The ministry has been advertising this position frequently but no qualified applications have been received. The Oshana Regional Health Directorate has put the matter on its agenda to devise some form of intervention on filling this position without delay,” Paulus said. Local expertise keySieberhagen also confirmed to Namibian Sun that health minister Bernhard Haufiku has approached local psychiatrists to assist in the north for short periods, to no avail.Asked about providing work permits to foreign psychiatrists, Sieberhagen said this is risky.“A psychiatrist must be knowledgeable about culture and traditional aspects of the community they serve. It is not like a surgeon that can operate on any human body, irrespective of race or tribe. A psychiatrist must understand the cultural practises to make good diagnoses and to understand what is going on.”There are two mental health care centres in the country, and the other one is at the Windhoek Central Hospital. The Windhoek centre is the only one with a full range of professionals such as psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists. ILENI NANDJATO

Psychiatric ward hell

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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Psychiatric ward hell

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-02

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