Working in a conventional hospital is no child’s play. It has its difficulties. But working in a psychiatry hospital poses a different challenge. In fact, the latter has bigger challenges. And the story of some members of staff of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, easily conveys this.

According to them, working in an environment that has the mentally-challenged persons is more than a tea party.

A member of staff of the organisation and nurse, who craved anonymity for fear of victimisation, said, “A patient bit me in many places and tore my clothes while I was trying to help him out.

“Apart from that, two of my colleagues were injured recently because there were not enough guards to rescue them during a crisis. We are supposed to have restrainers and some other gadgets because patients here can be unpredictable.

“The frequent attacks on us by some of these patients are making some members of staff to seek transfer to other places. Against this back, I must tell you that we need more trained guards to assist us to serve our patients better.”

The story of another worker in the hospital similarly makes an interesting reading. According to the doctor, who also sought anonymity, there was a time she could not go to work for three months because she suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder occasioned by harassment from a patient.

The doctor, nonetheless, blamed her assault on the lack of enough trained security personnel in the hospital.
She said, “Anytime I remember that experience I break down because I suffered PTSD and could not even go back to work for three months. A patient molested me and there was no one to defend me.

“This patient was violent. He destroyed many things in the hospital with his bare hands and even his actions scared other patients. While I was trying to douse the tension and counsel his aged mother on how to handle him, he molested me. In fact, as a result of his beating, I could not sleep for some days.’'

Doctors at the hospital are on strike to protest against inadequate security.

The President, Association of Resident Doctors in the hospital, Dr. Jeje Oyetayo, also confirmed that the hazard working in the facility was high.

According to her, two of her female colleagues were attacked in the hospital last June.

Oyetayo, who called on the Federal Government and authorities to review the security logistics in the hospital, said the call was to protect the lives of workers.

She said, “Patients have attacked doctors on many occasions in the hospital because we do not have trained security personnel. The patients also suffer injuries when caregivers are being rescued. This is a setback to their recovery. The government and the authorities must address this. There are no escape routes for workers in case of an emergency, especially when we have an aggressive patient.

“There is no functioning alarm system to alert even the few security officials for help in case of an emergency.

“The Federal Ministry of Health needs to step in to avoid loss of lives as well as bodily harm to health workers as well as patients and their relatives.”

For a social worker at the hospital, the payment of only N5,000 monthly allowance for injuries sustained in lines of duty is ridiculous.

She said, “We went on strike to protest the hazard allowance. It is absurd, how can you be paying us N5,000 monthly for the risk that we take every day. Overseas, special financial consideration is given to workers in psychiatric hospitals.

“The government must look into this. The minimum should be N30,000. It is not even enough to compensate us.”

According to another nurse, apart from having inadequate security personnel, the few ones on the ground are not trained to work with mentally-challenged patients.

He pointed out that there were occasions some of the guards took to their heels when patients went violent because they did not have the necessary skill or gadgets to restrain them.

According to him, security personnel were employed onlocumor contract basis, which makes it difficult for them to get the training and exposure needed to handle the sensitive nature of patients at the hospital.

“Many of them on contract have been working for a year now without any salaries. This will definitely affect their commitment to the job.”

He noted that the hospital also had few crisis intervention officers compared to the number of patients on admission or those that come regularly for treatment.

“The management is not helping matters as well because if you are not paying your security personnel, you do not expect them to work. The update is that those who have not been paid have stopped coming and new ones who have been recruited have not experience.

So, when a patient is violent, the few untrained ones would be on the edge because they do not know the next step to take. This offers the violent patient the opportunity to run away.

http://www.punchng.com/health/how-i-was-molested-by-a-patient-psychiatric-doctor/

Plight of a Nigerian worker, so disheartened . Also what is special in FTC. Who need this space can start bidding from 20000 upward

Can imagine the number of bites these workers will be receiving per/day/minute the clothes they went to work with the chase at their working place reaction from their relation each time they come back from work


something like......

"did any of them bite u today"

the person will now be like.....

"no but hot slaps"

or "chased out of office today"


or "thank God I went to work with change of clothe if not eh..."

helpsystem:
.

but why nah

Oya oooo... Those looking for jobs see vacancy don deh

This worker's deserves well trained security guards for protection. Handling a psychiatric patience no easy o.

A TASER would come in handy

psycho's self gt thr own God

Shit just got scary!

Change

Interesting

helpsystem:
.

Vorp:
aq

please stop this.. . This very early morning..... This mod wey move this thing to FP no dey sleep neh?

donholy28:
But wetin carry dem dey go psychiatric hospital to work sef

The same thing wey carry u come nairaland post this nonsense. If they're not there to cater for them, who will.

And some ungrateful souls would want to tell us these people are being overpaid. In fact Nigeria health professionals are among the worst paid in the world. May be that is among the reasons why most of those people are not so committed to their work.

If you pay peanuts, you get monkey.

donholy28:
But wetin carry dem dey go psychiatric hospital to work sef

To prevent comments such as yours from public forums.

efewwe

donholy28:
But wetin carry dem dey go psychiatric hospital to work sef

Honestly, you deserve to visit them by your comment.

Psychos scared of their fellow psycho? Sounds weird. hmm..I think I need to visit a psychiatric hospital one of these days to know what's within that arena. Morning guys..Hope u all slept well

.

donholy28:
But wetin carry dem dey go psychiatric hospital to work sef

.
Admit it, you were hiqhly paid for beinq obdurate..

LEvuls:
Can imagine the number of bites these workers will be receiving per/day/minute the clothes they went to work with reaction from their relation each time they come back from work.


something like......

"did any of them bite today"

the person will now be like.....

"no but hot slaps"

or "thank God I went to work with change of clothe if not eh..."

were re o

There are psychiatry patients

And then we have the grand psychiatry patients

Yaba and Aro lantoro peeps are not to b joked with, all hail the Medical team in those Hospitals..


Many Legs has been Fractured
Females healthworkers have been molested
The men receive bashing on a daily..
Not enough Hands or medical equipment to prevent all this and the Govt dnt care.

SAD STORY

DONT WORRY MR PRESIDENT WILL LOOK INTO THE MATTER

Eyaaa

''Some guards take to their heels when patients get violent''.. Who no go run when he see mad man?? Abeg oo

It takes a lot of courage to talk to mentally challenged individuals not to talk of taking care of them.Seriously, I salute the courage of d doctors.

Eden007:
Change

Dis are de type of patient

donholy28:
But wetin carry dem dey go psychiatric hospital to work sef

Just because of unreasonable people like u,that criticise blindly.

Truly, Majek Fashek comes to mind. The government should better do something urgently required about this o

Sorry to the Doctor and Nurses

So, when a patient is violent, the few untrained ones would be on the edge because they do not know the next step to take. This offers the violent patient the opportunity to run away.

I feel their pains. One of the many challenges of being an health worker.

@ the bold, hmmmmn... many of them av made NL their first point of call. This is very surprising.