Board confirms force was used on Mount Carmel patient

The board set up to investigate an incident which occurred on May 20th - whereby a patient at Mount Carmel Hospital was allegedly beaten up by a member of the staff after requesting that the television station which was on at the time be changed from One television to TVM – has confirmed that force was used.

18 persons were interviewed during a total of four sessions, including the alleged victim, ward staff, the patient’s social worker, as well as doctors and hospital management.

Whilst the Board could not confirm whether the patient had actually been physically assaulted, it came to the conclusion that there were “a number of irregularities” in the way by which the patient had been injected with medication to be put under the control.

The Board said that necessary action, including disciplinary action, should be taken and recommended that clear guidelines should be established on the means by which televisions are used at the hospital and on what programmes are aired. This was especially the case for programmes of a political nature, it said.

The Board also recommended that basic training is given to the staff in order for them to show more sensitivity towards their patients.