Shortly after becoming known, on April 1, the complaint about an allegedor sexual abuse of patients by an auxiliary nurse bound by contract for the provision of services to the Unit of La Victoria Mental Health Hospitalthis Wednesday, the district health and women’s secretariats confirmed the fact.
“With deep pain and outrage, we must today inform the city and the country of the deplorable and unacceptable events that took place in a public network hospital in Bogotá,” the statement begins.
Immediately afterwards, the two secretariats explained that, in a work articulated between the two entities, initially four women concerned were identified. However, later and thanks to the work of the lawyers of the Women’s Secretariat who are present 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in 10 hospitals in the city, seven other possible victims have been identified, all patients in the psychiatric unit of the hospital.
The District Women’s Secretariat provided socio-legal assistance to citizens and family members who requested it, and on April 1, the Women’s Secretariat, ex officio, filed a complaint in the case of the 11 potential victims. and articulated with the Attorney General’s office, through the local prosecutor 420, what was necessary to generate criminal news and expedite the investigation and the work of the judicial police.
On this occasion, the Secretariat for Women will legally represent two of the victims and accompany them throughout the process of seeking justice. Likewise, it is attentive to accompany with its legal and psychological services any known case in which the victims or their families request it.
Currently, both the facts and the number of cases are being investigated by the Attorney General’s Office as the competent authority.
A distinct point, within the framework of the functions of Inspection, Surveillance and Control, the District Health Secretary carries out the corresponding administrative acts tending to establish the alleged breaches of health care, in compliance with the authorization regulations and others that may be within the jurisdiction of the territorial entity, in full respect of the procedural guarantees and the applicable legal reserve.
Thus, following the verification visits carried out and taking into account the evidence of the risk in the human talent and the priority processes, on April 5, a security measure was imposed consisting of the temporary and preventive closure of the service of La Victoria Health Services Unit mental health inpatient.
“In order to move forward in guaranteeing the safety of patients treated in a service as sensitive as mental health, the District Health Secretariat will carry out verification and follow-up actions for the management of improvement opportunities in the network. public and private health service providers. And with regard to the alleged punishable acts that may have been committed, the judicial authorities will be responsible for clarifying the facts and imposing the corresponding sanctions that may apply,” added the communicated.