Bellevue insanity - Cold, inhumane treatment of patients observed at facility

Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter

Mentally ill patients, many of them infirm, are being subjected to cold and inhumane treatment at the Bellevue Hospital - Jamaica's sole mental-health facility.

Two covert visits to the hospital between late last year and earlier this month found that patients are being regularly bathed on the bathroom floor instead of in the stalls, contrary to official administrative policy.

The patients are lathered with soap and then sprayed with water from a hose - a chilling similarity to the treatment of some residents, many of them disabled, at the Golden Age Home in Vineyard Town, St Andrew.

When our news team arrived at the institution on the return visit, the tiles were still wet and a plastic bath with water was seen on floor. At least one patient was seen walking around naked on the ward.

During the undercover visit two Fridays ago, a similar bathing routine was observed. However, it appeared as if one patient was bathing the other.

All the doors - except one to the back of the bathroom - were left open.

Practice not new

A former employee of Bellevue, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the practice of inmates bathing other patients is not new at the facility.

"Patients are often used to bathe other patients," the former employee said.

A current employee, who also asked not to be named, said the psychiatric aides and the ward assistants are the ones assigned the responsibility of bathing patients who can't help themselves, and supervising those who can.

The ward also seemed to be in bad shape as a large blue tarpaulin was seen stretched across a section of the ceiling. The tarpaulin was being used as a buffer for a leaky roof. The beds of several patients were beneath the tarpaulin.

For much of last year, the bathroom on Ward T was also in a state of disrepair and its patients were given their baths behind a zinc fence outside in the same manner.

The Sunday Gleaner understands that residents from neighbouring communities have complained about being able to see naked patients on Bellevue's compound.

Asked about this practice, the nurse on duty angrily told our news team that she would have nothing to say because she was not aware that permission was granted for the media to be on the ward.

Another male employee, in a threatening manner, questioned what would our news team do if he was to "let go two of the mad people on us".

At least one critic has advanced that the situation at the Bellevue Hospital is another reminder that institutional care in Jamaica is below the accepted standard.

Dr Carolyn Gomes, executive director of Jamaicans for Justice, expressed grave concern about the report of the group bathing ritual at the hospital.

"It's not acceptable. It never was and never will be acceptable. It is barbaric and a breach of people's rights," she said piercingly.

"We can do better ... . There are rules that say you can't treat people like that. A part of the problem is that we don't hold people accountable," Gomes said.

Anthonette Patterson, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica, agreed that respecting a patient's right to privacy was paramount.

"Each individual is entitled to their privacy. If the privacy of the patient is compromised at anytime that's not allowed," said Patterson.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com