A psychiatric patient from Harare died in a fire the day he was admitted at Ingutsheni Mental Hospital after he was allowed to keep matches in his room, a Bulawayo magistrate heard yesterday.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
Trevor Zartmann (41) died of “asphyxia, aspiration, smoke inhalation and 20% open fire burns” on March 3 2013, an inquest led by Bulawayo regional magistrate Crispen Mberewere was told.
Zartmann of Dandaro Retirement Village in Borrowdale, Harare, was admitted at Ingutsheni’s Mzilikazi Ward where he died.
A former nurse aide Ramson Sibanda told the inquest that Zartmann was allowed to take his belongings into his room against the hospital’s policy because he was white.
Sibanda said he was on night duty on the fateful day and found the patient already admitted when he reported for work at 6:30 pm.
“On arrival I found my colleagues, one Mkhwananzi, Mthinsi and Sister Moyo already on duty,” he said.
“Moyo told me there was a patient who had to be transferred from Dowson Board to Mzilikazi Ward and he was a private patient.
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“She said he was very violent and had his belongings in a paper bag and told me not to take his belongings because he was a private patient. My colleagues said he handed them matches and cigarettes.”
Sibanda said Zartmann had refused to leave Dowson Board saying he was a private patient.
“He said his relatives hated him and now we the nurse aides hated him as well.
“We later went to his room for routine checks and found him sleeping.
“We went back to our duty room,” he said.
“When we did our late checks that is when we smelt something burning and went to his room.
“When we opened, we discovered that he was already dead and lying close to the door on his stomach.
“We went back to the office and advised the matron.”
Sibanda said some matches and items from Zartmann’s paper bag were strewn all over the floor next to his body.
The blankets and mattress had been burnt.
“We discovered that he had matches when the police came and conducted their investigations,” he said.
Sibanda told prosecutor Jonathan Mutsindikwa that mental patients were not allowed to keep matches in their rooms, but they had been told to let Zartmann take his belongings to the ward.
“The truth is that at an institution like Ingutsheni Hospital, patients are not allowed to keep their belongings; even the private patients,” he said.
“When I assumed duty, he was already in his room with his belongings.”
Mberewere asked Sibanda if he remembered any other private patient being allowed to keep their belongings since he started working at the institution.
“Yes, in 1977 there was one white man who came to the hospital and he was allowed to keep his matches and cigarettes and nothing happened,” Sibanda said.
“Zartmann was also a white man. They said we should not collect his belongings because he said he had a doctor that is why the staff did not seize his belongings.”
Authorities suspected foul play and requested an inquest seeking to establish the exact cause of his death.
Mberewere remanded the case to September 25 for a ruling.
