Mentally ill woman denied treatment: kin

[The Desi DISpatch]

24-AUG-2015

Zubeda Hamid

CHENNAI : The family of a mentally ill woman who had a spinal injury claims two city corporate hospitals refused to treat her on account of her psychiatric condition.

The woman, 46, has schizophrenia and has been a patient at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) for the last five years, said R. Padmavati, additional director of SCARF. On Saturday morning, the woman is believed to have attempted suicide by jumping off the first floor of her building. Her family brought her to SCARF. “I told them that she may have a spinal injury and asked them to seek treatment,” said Dr. Padmavati.

According to the woman’s son, the family took her to MIOT Hospital as they had an insurance policy that covered treatment there.  “They took her in for X-Rays even after we told them she was a psychiatric patient; it was only later that they began saying that they do not take in psychiatric patients,” claimed the woman’s brother.

Her son said that his mother was shouting in pain. “I told the doctors that her X-Rays had been done but they insisted on repeating them, and then didn't admit her,” he said.

The woman’s son said they had called another corporate hospital Global Hospital, which said they would not take in a psychiatric patient. “I was completely frustrated and hassled by this time,” the son said. They did not go to Global Hospitals.

The family called Dr. Padmavati. “I called the hospital to tell them to admit her, but the duty doctor told me that as a policy they do not take in psychiatric patients,” she said. 

The family had arrived at the hospital at 7.30 p.m., and by the time they left, they claimed it was 12.30 a.m.

According to Mallika Mohandoss, chairman of MIOT hospital, there was no policy against taking in patients with mental illnesses. “We do not have an in-house psychiatrist so we do not take in patients with only psychiatric issues, but if there is any trauma or orthopaedic injury we definitely take in the patient. We have a visiting psychiatrist whom we call to look in on these patients,” she said, adding that she would definitely look into this particular case.

The woman has now been admitted to another city hospital where she is undergoing treatment, the family said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/mentally-ill-woman-denied-treatment-kin/article7573280.ece  

Hospitals refuse to admit woman with schizophrenia

24-Aug-2015

Ekatha Ann John

CHENNAI: When 48-year-old Saroja (name changed) fractured her spine after attempting suicide by jumping from her first floor apartment, it took 14 hours for her to avail medical help after two corporate hospitals in the city refused to admit her. The reason: her decade-long battle with schizhophrenia. 

For an entire day on Saturday, the home-maker, who was writhing in pain, had to be ferried in an ambulance from one hospital to another as she was refused admission on the basis of her mental condition. Pavan Raguru, Saroja's son, said she was first taken to Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), where she had been receiving treatment for the last five years, for help. "The psychiatrists there said we would need help for her physical condition first as they suspected a fracture in her spine. She was in a lot of pain," said the 26-year-old. Saroja was taken to Sundaram Medical Foundation where an X-Ray revealed a fracture in her lower back bone. 

Saroja, whose husband is a former Army personnel, is covered under the ex-servicemen contributory health scheme (ECHS). The insurance helps meet medical expenses in two corporate hospitals - MIOT and another multi-speciality hospital in Pallikarnai. "At first, we took her to MIOT, where they asked her to take an X-ray. We tried explaining to them that we had already done it, and gave them our report. But they still insisted on the tests," said Pavan. Saroja, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, was admitted to the hospital. But the hospital staff, her family said, turned hostile after they were told about her mental health condition. "It took five hours for us to complete all the formalities of admitting her. We felt we had to tell the hospital about her mental health as she was on medication for that. When we divulged her medical history the hospital administration suddenly turned cold. They cancelled the admission, without giving us an explanation," said Pavan. The family called the other hospital in Pallikarnai, where again, admission was denied after they told her about her mental ailment. 

Dr R Padmavati, joint director of SCARF, who has been treating Saroja for the last five years, said she wasn't surprised by the hospitals' apathy. "Hospitals are apprehensive about admitting patients with mental health issues as they are a liability. They cite the lack of psychiatrists as a reason. How do these hospitals call themselves multi-speciality then? Psychiatry is an integral stream of medicine too," she said. Mental health experts said Saroja's case is not a stray case. "Recently, we had a patient who struggled to find medical help for a ruptured appendix. Hospitals refused to admit him when he revealed he suffered from schizophrenia," said Dr R Tara, director, SCARF. 

MIOT hospital said Saroja's admission was cancelled was she was suffering from "acute psychosis". "When she arrived she had hallucinations with acute psychosis, repeated suicidal thoughts and delusions. She wasn't cooperating with the hospital staff either," said a member of the hospital administration. "Therefore, she was referred to a centre where there is psychiatric management." 

By the time Saroja received help, it was well past midnight. Dr C N Raja, secretary of the Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian medical Association said hospitals have the responsibility to treat physical injuries of patients with mental health. "What happened to the woman isn't fair. When there's a problem the treatment should be done immediately. Ideally, all mutlispeciality hospitals should have a psychiatry wing, or more people with mental health issues will be deprived of help for their physical ailments," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Hospitals-refuse-to-admit-woman-with-schizophrenia/articleshow/48646407.cms