SINGAPORE — Staff-patient ratios at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) conform to Ministry of Health (MOH) standards, said the IMH, in the wake of a case of a former IMH nurse being jailed for assaulting a patient.

Myanmar national Aung Phyo Thu, 26, was on Monday (April 18) sentenced to a year’s jail for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to 56-year-old Kong Ah Hoe, a long-term IMH patient who suffers from schizophrenia, on Feb 17 last year.

During mitigation, his lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan had noted that when the incident happened, Aung was the only nurse on night shift in the ward, which should have had at least three to four nurses and an attendant, and Aung had been under stress.

In response to queries, an IMH spokesperson said that at night, two nursing staff are on duty per ward in the long stay wards, “where patients are generally stable”.

“Depending on the severity of patients’ condition and their care needs, the staff-patient ratio vary in the different wards. Our staffing ratios conform to MOH’s staffing norms,” said the spokesperson.

There are also protocols in place for staff to quickly call for help whenever necessary. “Staff may also contact the nursing supervisor for advice or assistance. Staff also attend Care & Response training to equip them with the skills and knowledge to manage aggressive patients,” the spokesperson added.

Noting that working with persons with mental health issues requires “much patience and compassion”, the IMH said its staff are encouraged to seek support and assistance via its Staff Support and Assistance Programme whenever they are stressed or face obstacles during the course of their work.

“We regularly remind our staff about our policy of zero tolerance towards violence and emphasise that there is no acceptable excuse for any form of violence or abuse against patients,” said the spokesperson.