In the “lager” ward of the San Paolo hospital, sedated patients: the new testimony

Naples. Another dramatic testimony sheds new light on the inhumane conditions reportedly experienced in the neurology department of San Paolo Hospital.

A carer, who was assisting an elderly man in hospital, said he had repeatedly witnessed scenes of abuse: elderly patients, often suffering from Alzheimer's, gagged, tied to beds and sedated with heavy drugs, even without a real medical need.

The situation, according to the witness, would have been normal in the department, with nurses who would have justified their behavior and intimidated those who tried to intervene. Only a few professionals would have stood out for their humanity and professionalism.

The deputy Francesco Emilio Borrelli he stressed the urgency of clarifying what happened and has already reported the new testimony to the top management of the ASL, asking for immediate answers.

“A hospital ward cannot be a place of suffering and mistreatment, but must guarantee dignified and respectful care for all patients.”

There are now two investigations into what happened at the San Paolo hospital

Meanwhile, in addition to the internal investigation, there is also one launched by the Naples Prosecutor's Office after the release of a shocking video. Now, the more time passes, the more confirmation there is that these were not isolated cases

And this is the testimony of a person who turned to the deputy of the Green-Left alliance Francesco Emilio Borrelli.

“I read the article about the situation in the neurology department of the San Paolo hospital.”– the man says – “Unfortunately that situation is real, at the end of January, beginning of February I assisted as a carer an elderly man with 104 years of age suffering from Alzheimer's, who had had an ischemia, I had regular permission from the head of the department, because assistance is permitted for patients with 104 years of age.”

“Every night I arrived and found him tied to the bed.”- goes on -“and heavily sedated with Quetiapine, but in cases where the patient was more, let’s say, nervous, they had no qualms about seeing him with intramuscular Valium. More than once I had arguments with the nurses because the conditions were truly inhumane, but they replied that I was not competent to speak. The relatives did not want to report it even though I urged them to do so.”

A situation that would have been normal in that department.

“The people hospitalized in that department” – the witness continues – “are mostly helpless elderly people, who are sedated because they complain of pain or because they call the nurses one more time, it is inhumane.

I, first as a carer and then as an OSS, go around hospitals, and apart from a few flaws here and there, what I saw in that department I have never seen anywhere else.

Let it be clear that we must not generalise, because there were a couple of nurses who did their job truly professionally and with great heart, one was called Enzo and he was truly a very good person, but unfortunately they were the exception, because the others were real torturers.”.