swaziland times

MANZINI – The Mosa family is left with questions but no answers after their loved one died of “unexplained causes” at the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital.

Sibangani Motsa, 49, from Ngculwini, died nine days after being admitted to a psychiatric hospital. According to Sibangani’s relatives, Sibangani suffered from mental illness, bipolar disorder, and was admitted to the hospital on June 21. Hospital reports showed that he died on June 30. Mosa’s family has expressed concern about the abuse suffered by Sibangani. They say they are disturbed by the alleged lack of clarity surrounding Sibangani’s final days and death. They demanded an explanation from the hospital about Sibangani’s death. Mosa’s family told the publication that they visited Sibangani on June 28, a week after he was admitted to the hospital.

explain

They claimed they were not allowed to see him and were not given a clear explanation. They said they were only told that his condition was serious. They said they suspected he died on Friday, not Sunday as reported by the hospital. Sibangani’s brother, Muzi Motsa, recounted the circumstances before he was admitted to the hospital. “On June 21, they admitted Sibangani to a psychiatric hospital. He was conscious and able to talk. A nurse even asked if this was his first time in hospital, to which Sibangani replied in the negative,” he recalled. Muzi claimed that after the injection of drugs in another room, a nurse advised the family to visit him again after seven days. Muzi elaborated that Sibangani’s condition was not critical when he was admitted to the hospital.

healthy

The family said that when they went to the medical facility again, a medical staff told them that the deceased asked for permission to bask in the sun because he felt cold. Mosa said they were told that the deceased was found lying there motionless and was later confirmed dead. According to the family, this limited explanation is concerning to them. They stressed that what confused them even more was the timeline of Sibangani’s death. “We went to deliver his lunch to his designated place but found him unresponsive. We are still questioning why it took so long to notify us.

Although the hospital claimed that he died around noon, we were not informed of his death until 4 pm,” they said. The family claims the hospital has been unable to provide a complete history of Sibangani’s care, with no records of medication or food. They cite the agency’s alleged lack of transparency as the source of their distress. In their quest for answers, the family stressed that they then sought clarification from the Manzini police and requested them to conduct an autopsy on the deceased.
They believe Sibangani’s death could be related to physical injuries, allegedly sustained while he was hospitalized.

They also speculated that his death may have been caused by a wrong dosage of medication or negligence on the part of medical staff. “We are extremely frustrated and had hoped that Sibangani’s treatment at the psychiatric hospital would lead to his recovery. But the timeline provided by the hospital has left us confused,” they shared. The nurse who handled the matter forwarded the publication to the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health’s Communications Officer, Nsindiso Chabeze, was asked to explain why the family was not provided with the reason for their loved one’s death.

He was also asked whether the Ministry of Health had conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death and, if not, why. He was also asked about the Ministry’s policy on family members’ rights to visit their loved ones. He was further asked how the ministry ensures transparency and accountability in such cases when patients die unexpectedly while under its care.

related

The ministry was also asked what the patient’s death might be related to and whether there were any signs or symptoms in the days before death that could indicate a possible cause. The ministry was also asked if any tests were conducted to determine the cause of death. Finally, if the cause of death was unknown, what steps would the ministry take to investigate and determine the cause of death. In response, Tsabedze said: “The ministry is aware of the matter and is awaiting a detailed report from the facility’s management team.” The ministry spokesperson added that, therefore, the ministry could not discuss the matter until more information was provided.

The family of the late Sibangani claims his body was taken to the mortuary without their permission, which the family says raises concerns about transparency and possible withholding of information. The family also claimed that they were not allowed to access Sibangani’s medical records. “The last treatment recorded in the files was an injection at 10am on Friday. However, there was no record of food or medicine being provided from then until he was found dead on Sunday,” the family said.