Illegal Drugs In Darwin Hospital

It is distressing to learn that mental health patients in the Cowdy Ward of RDH are getting access to illicit drugs while getting treatment for their psychological problems under the control and strict supervision of trained medical professionals, Dr Richard Lim, Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services said.

“When I heard about it I just shook my head. How can it be that a patient who was admitted for a drug induced psychosis into the mental health ward of a hospital can get access to illicit drugs and no one do anything about it?” asked Dr Lim.

“The question has to be asked of the government why the system failed to recognise that the patient was ‘stoned off his head’, while his spouse, without any clinical training, was able to discern that while visiting him.

“The system again failed when the patient who was supposed to be taking medication was not observed to have done so, telling his wife the he spat them out.

The Health system has a duty of care for the patients who are admitted to hospital for treatment, no matter whether they are there for physical treatment or mental treatment.

“Having the mental health patient, who was obviously not able to care satisfactorily for himself, coming and going as he pleased is not on,” Dr Lim said.

“Patients should not be able to freely move about outside the campus of the psychiatric unit, nor should drug dealers be able to have easy access to the patients.

“It appears that the system does not take any steps to prevent the patient accessing illicit drugs while in hospital, nor have measures been put in place to prevent drug dealers from making deliveries of illicit drugs to these patients.

“How many more instances of patients being under the influence of illicit drugs are there at the Royal Darwin Hospital? There has to be many more when a nurse was prepared to admit that ‘It is a problem here, it’s hard to control.

If they can smuggle drugs into this part of the hospital, who is to say that they can’t smuggle weapons in. That combination of drugs and weapons with the addition of a psychological problem, creates a dangerous situation. Action must be taken immediately to toughen up the access arrangements and checking.

“The Minister for Family and Community Services can choose to either bleat out words of assurance or she can take action to investigate this matter and get the necessary safeguards in place for Territorians to have confidence in our mental health system,” Dr Lim said.

2006-04-29