GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING: Psychiatric patient in Limpopo found dead

A psychiatric patient was found hanging at Hayani Psychiatric Hospital near Thohoyandou in Limpopo.

Health department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana says the discovery was made by security personnel.

He says the patient had used bed linen to hang himself.  The patient had been reported missing from the ward since last Tuesday.

Police have opened an inquest docket.

Shikwambana says they have been saddened by the incident.

He says, “As the Limpopo Department of Health, we are quite saddened at this death because we actually expected that the patient will get the necessary assistance at the specialised hospital so that he can be reunited with his family. Because more often you’d know that mental health care users experience rejection from community members, sometimes families.”