Management of Zomba Mental Hospital has removed a guardian of leader of Peoples Land Organisation Vincent Wandale contrary to a court order that assured
him of humane treatment and access to relatives while he was undergoing treatment.
However, Ministry of Health have justified contravening the court order following an incident last week in which Wandale attempted to injure a nurse with a razor blade.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango said the hospital could not control visitors to Wandale, whether relatives or journalists, but he was granted such access to abide by the court order.
He added that guardians are only allowed at Zomba Mental Hospital in exceptional circumstances where the psychiatry patient is female and has a small baby.
“But last week, the hospital discovered that he had a razor blade which he wrapped in a tissue. He allegedly grabbed by the throat a nurse who was giving him treatment in an attempt to injure him. Fortunately, several medical officers intervened and overpowered him and no one was injured in the incident,” Malango said.
Meanwhile, the medical report on how Wandale is responding to the treatment has been submitted to the High Court in Zomba.
Malango said the report will include an attachment on the incident that occurred last week as well as a report that Wandale no longer has a guardian and is not in a private ward.
Wandale was granted access to a guardian following allegations he made that the government wanted to kill him.
The Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court had ordered Wandale to undergo psychiatry evaluation then treatment if he was found to be mentally unstable before undergoing trial.
He is facing charges of publication of false statements likely to cause fear and alarm to the public.
The hospital is expected to produce a report every 30 days to be submitted to the High Court detailing how Wandale is responding to treatment.
