My visit to the Psych Ward was short and bitter.
Sometimes I am really stubborn and never listen, and this one was one of those times. I was advised by the administration not to visit the psychiatry ward out of ward-round times due to the patients being dangerously aggressive. Not only I did not listen, but even worse I decided to visit it when no healthcare professionals were currently in.
I first visited the men’s ward. I shall never forget the way the patients were kept. Before I went in, as I was still standing outside the ward, I noticed this patient standing at the window gazing outside at me. I don’t think I have ever seen a sharpest, coldest gaze. I walked in and was overwhelmed by the smell of urine. I look at my left and I see literally just a room with NO objects in it, practically a cage with patients roaming around. One of them came and stood by the door and looked at me, then dropped his pants and started urinating. Needless to say that within a split of second I ran out of there.
As if that was not enough to satisfy my curiosity, I decided to visit the female ward as well. I first walked in and looked at my right. There was a solid metal door, shut and locked, that only had small holes on it through which the patients were gazing out – it gave me the chills. And then I turn my head to the left and I see this patient on the loose shouting and running after me; I immediately jumped out and ran away until I found a doctor and alarmed him about the situation.
I know you would expect that I’d never step my foot again in the Psych War, but the next day I was back, at least this time though for the ward-round.
A TASTE OF TANZANIA 