The Nevada hospital is under investigation after patients report that psychiatric staff had mistreated them

A Nevada hospital is under investigation for allegations of physical abuse of its psychiatric patients.

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was investigating two complaints filed against the North Vista Hospital in North Las Vegas, a few months after a local newspaper had revealed allegations of abuse suffered by several psychiatric patients

. A spokesman for the state agency told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that investigations into the two complaints received on May 22 and 7 regarding "the physical environment, patient care and record keeping "are currently in progress.

The agency's quality health care and state compliance is expected to conduct interviews and observations to determine if the complaints are valid.

The agency stated that she would not disclose the details of the complaints until investigations were completed.

A hospital worker, who spoke under the guise of anonymity, told the newspaper that the complaints being investigated were related to the abuse of mentally ill people .

The worker alleged that Darnell Bumpus, a mental health technician from North Vista, who is also an amateur MMA fighter, had beaten patients.

Once, after Bumpus allegedly "choked a patient," the worker said that they had to "give him a blue code," indicating that the patient needed immediate medical attention.

Subsequently, the worker stated that hospital employees "met" to make sure their incident report "said what they meant.

The Review-Journal had previously reported that Bumpus allegedly attacked Jacob Delgado, 23, who had an anguish attack, and put him in a head before seducing him.

Bumpus declined to comment, referring the newspaper to the hospital instead.

In March, the hospital had defended Bumpus, stating that no complaints had been lodged against him.

Another patient, David McCovy, who had been admitted to the hospital after a panic attack, said employees of mental hospitals punched him and threw him to the ground. leaving him a black eye and scratches.

McCovy now faces charges of assault and trespass, after the police were called to the hospital. According to the redacted judicial documents obtained by the Review-Journal, hospital employees accused him of being "verbally and physically combative" during the incident.

Delgado, McCovy and two unnamed hospital staff also told the Review-Journal that Bumpus and other mental health technicians had been mocking patients. They also accused the supervisors of covering their employees.

The hospital had already been attacked by relatives of patients who claimed that their suicidal relatives had died because they had been released too early.

In 2015, Kenneth Robert Risher, 37, who had been admitted after claiming that he wanted to drive his car in a pole, was admitted to North Vista and released in a few hours. He managed to commit suicide by driving in a post shortly after, according to reports at the time.

And in February 2018, Rayshauna Roy, 33, died less than 24 hours after the hospital apparently allowed a consultant, without professional medical training, to transfer her to a home without a permit three days after her admission to the hospital. . Roy was bipolar and suicidal. the Review-Journal reported.

A spokesman for the hospital told the Review-Journal on Thursday that "North Vista Hospital sees patient safety as a top priority."

If the Department of Health and Social Services Nevada finds that the complaints lodged against him the hospital is valid, the hospital could face penalties, including fines, corrective action plans or closure.