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Mental patient assault forces nurses sit out

May 05, 2009 News

FORT CANJE, BERBICE – Police in Berbice are to seek advice on how to proceed in the matter involving a psychiatric patient who battered fellow inmates last Saturday night.

A police source close to the investigation disclosed that the assailant, Jermaine Benjamin, a 22-year-old resident of Fyrish Village on the Corentyne, was still in custody.

He is said to be suffering from psychotic disorder drug dependency. At 23:30 hours he went out of control and launched the attack.

According to reports, the psychiatric patient broke the door to the dining room and attacked the other patients. He was in the male admission ward, which is said to be a double ward.

Staff members managed to escape unharmed and locked the mentally ill persons in the ward where a bloody mess followed. The weapon appears to be a part of the broken door with several nails on it.

Two of the victims were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital on Sunday morning, two were admitted to Ward Eight at the New Amsterdam Hospital and one treated and returned to the mental hospital.

Due to staff shortage, there were only two nurses on duty at the time of the incident. This is according to those close to the institution.

Jermaine Benjamin was first admitted to the mental hospital last Monday. On Thursday he and six others escaped.

Three of them were recaptured the said night at different locations in East Berbice and about 10:30 hours on Saturday Benajmin’s relatives turned him in.

At the time of his re-admission, he appeared to be the usual quiet individual he is.

Meanwhile, some members of staff complained about the $500 a monthly risk allowance and the frequency of attacks on them by these mentally unstable people.

The disgruntled workers want to meet with no lesser person than the Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.

Up to yesterday Monday, the nurses continued to sit-out – a protest action that began on Sunday after the incident. ( Melissa Johnson)

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