Five injured as psychiatric patient goes berserk

May 04, 2009 News

…nurses on sit out

FORT CANJE, BERBICE – An inmate of the National Psychiatric Hospital at Fort Canje went berserk Saturday night and attacked five patients, leaving four other inmates hospitalized.
Two of the victims were transferred to the Georgetown Hospital on Sunday morning, while two were admitted to Ward Eight at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

One of the injured inmates

One other inmate was treated and returned to the mental hospital.
According to sources at the institution, the assailant Jermaine Benjamin is in police custody.
The incident has led to a sit out by the nurses at the mental institution.
Jermaine Benjamin, 22 of Fyrish Village on the Corentyne is said to be suffering from psychotic disorder drug dependency.
He was first admitted to the mental hospital last Monday but had escaped on Thursday along with six other inmates.
Three of them were recaptured the said night, while at about 10:30 hours on Saturday, Jermaine Benjamin was turned in by his relatives.
At the time of his return he appeared to be the usual quiet individual he is.
By 23:30 hours he went out of control.
A source explained, “He had a sudden burst of anger…he went berserk…he broke the dinning room door, attacked patients of all other races except his own.”
Staff members managed to escape unharmed but locked the mentally ill persons in the ward where a bloody mess followed.
“By this time, he ripped out the door. The police was here last night (Saturday) and by this morning unknown persons clean up the blood and fixed the door. It was plenty blood all over the place. People suffered fractured skull, broken jaws, and some would loose their eyes and teeth. It was a scene of blood all over.”
The weapon used was said to be part of a door with several nails on it.
“He ripped out a double door to the dining hall and one to come out of the ward. The double door was stamped out completely. He used pieces of the door to beat the other patients. The door was full of blood. Them doors had plenty nails.”
One individual said that rumours began to spread that three patients had died in the ward.
According to sources, there are more than 150 patients at the National Psychiatric Hospital.
Due to staff shortage, there are more patients than nurses. On any given day, in the male admission ward where the incident took place, only two nurses would be on duty.
“This is two wards in one – the male admission ward. The ideal figure is six nurses but only two usually work in this double ward,” the source said.
In the ward where the incident took place there are said to 30 patients.
“In 1989 a patient threw five other female inmates out of a window on the Victoria Block. One of them died. There are regular attacks on staff. Staff always getting attacked and is only $500 risk allowance we getting. The cooks, telephonist, maids, laundresses, dispensers and all other persons working here are not entitled to risk allowance only the nurses. We ain’t going back to till they give us $5,000…we start now and it will intensify,” a spokesperson for the nurses told this newspaper.
According to them, security guards are stationed at the mental hospital not for their protection but to guard the buildings and monitor vehicles that enter and exit the compound.
“Soon all the patients from Georgetown Hospital coming to Fort Canje because of the fire at Georgetown Hospital. We are very much short of staff and only one doctor attached at the National Psychiatric Hospital, Fort Canje.”
The sources pointed out that there is an insufficient water supply – no water was had on Saturday. The situation, they said, has been going on for the past nine months and still no relief.
Lighting at the institution and its environs is also not good enough.
“Reptiles are being seen, found, caught and killed in the wards especially labaria and alligators.”
A meeting with the Chief Executive Officer Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, Industrial Relations Officer Region Six of the Guyana Public Service Union Ram Mangru and other union representatives, Matron and other key players was held yesterday.
According to Mr. Mangru, the plight of staff attached to the National Psychiatric Hospital was once again brought to the fore.
“We discussed the insecure feelings of the nurses. We cannot get through as fast as we would like to move. There are still some hurdles we are hoping to bypass. We are hoping before the day is over to reach an amicable solution. The workers are agitated and would like to see the Minister of Health.”