Tragedy at Săpoca Mental Hospital: Man killed four patients with I.V. stand, seriously injured other nine

A man admitted to the Săpoca Mental Hospital in Buzau County has killed four patients on the night of Saturday night to Sunday and injured other nine people.

The man, suffering of a psychotic episode, has repeatedly kicked the victims with a I.V. stand. Three of the patients died on the spot. Other nine are seriously injured, some of them in a coma.

All victims were old people, admitted to the mental hospital with dementia. This was the reason they could not react when the aggressors attacked them.

Five of the injured were taken to Bucharest, to Floreasca, Bagdasar-Arseni and Pantelimon hospitals, one another victim was transported by helicopter.

The Health Ministry has sent its Control Body to the Sapoca hospital. Health minister Sorina Pintea said that if this case proves to be dereliction of duty, the ministry will act accordingly.

The manager of the Săpoca mental hospital claimed that one of the nurses on duty that night was just 2 metres away from the wards where the attacks had taken place, arguing the facts unfolded very quickly and that was no time for the staff to react.

The manager, Viorica Mihalascu, said that a doctor, seven nurses, three orderlies had been on duty on Saturday night, as well as two carers who monitored dangerous mentally ill patients.

Viorica Mihalascu is the wife of PSD local leader Gabriel Mihalascu.

Sources within the Police said the aggressor had been immobilized by a policeman who was in the hospital at that moment to admit another patient in the medical unit.

The aggressor, now under Police custody, is 38 years old, unemployed and he is from Sageata village, Buzau. He was voluntarily hospitalized at Sapoca with alcohol withdrawal on Thursday, August 15.

On the other hand, the members of Sanitas health trade union, argued that the system is short staffed, although they alerted the authorities many times. The trade union also says that the hazard pay of 75% the medical staff used to benefit of has decreased to 50%, on the ground there are no funds anymore.

Sanitas also claims that “it’s inadmissible that a nurse, an orderly and an instructor are on duty and monitor 70 mentally ill patients over the weekend”.

A woman was found dead in the courtyard of „Al. Obregia” Mental Hospital in Bucharest last year.