Senate to probe NCMH situation

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate committee on health is set to conduct an inquiry into the reported inhumane treatment of patients as well as possible corruption at the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH).

The probe was prompted by Senate Resolution 562 filed by Sen. Raffy Tulfo, which seeks to investigate the tragic condition of patients at the NCMH in Mandaluyong City, where he said they are not receiving their deserved specialized care and treatment.

He said an investigation is necessary to formulate policies to ensure that patients receive proper care and to address the reported corruption in hospital management.

Tulfo conducted a surprise ocular inspection at the NCMH after receiving a tip from a concerned netizen that patients there are being “treated unjustly or even worse than animals.”

“It was depressing to see the miserable conditions of some patients at the NCMH in Mandaluyong. If you do not have the stomach for it, I’m sure you would not be able to take the stench of their wards that is worse than a pigsty,” Tulfo said in Filipino.

“They sleep on the floor without mats, blankets or pillows and are packed like sardines. And their (wards) are hot like ovens because they have no ventilation or lack fans,” he said.

He recalled that he first visited Pavilion 8 or the Female Ward that smelled of patients’ feces and urine, which was made worse by the smell of garbage dumped outside.

During the visit, Tulfo said he recommended to NCMH officials to use humidifiers, automatic round-the-clock disinfectant spray and clean the room at least two times a day.

The senator also visited Pavilion 4 or the Forensic Ward housing patients with pending cases. He said the cramped pavilion with no ventilation, except for two ceiling fans, housed roughly 50 patients, but its capacity is only up to 10 people.

In filing the resolution, Tulfo aims to identify the root causes of the problems and lapses in the facilities and operations of NCMH, as well as assess the quality of care, treatment and support provided to patients in the hospital.

He also stressed the need to hold accountable those responsible for corruption or any lapses, negligence or violations of laws, rules and regulations governing mental health care services.

He said he saw one unusable pavilion in NCMH whose construction remains uncompleted despite a budget of P60 million.

Tulfo recalled that a former chief of NCMH was murdered because he uncovered corruption and other anomalies in the hospital and the suspects apparently have yet to be convicted.

He said the budget allocated by government for NCMH should be used to improve the quality of care and support provided to patients “instead of being pocketed by corrupt people using the money for their own benefit.” – Cecille Suerte Felipe