By Kudakwashe Pembere
Zimbabwe’s state owned mental health institutions are oversubscribed to the brim due to the increase of case of people with mental illnesses, it has emerged.Ngomahuru, Ingutsheni, Harare Central Hospital along with Parirenyatwa are some of the mental healthcare centres that offer psychiatric services to the mentally ill.
In an interview with Zimbabwe National Association for Mental Health clinical psychologist and national coordinator Mr Ignatious Murambizi, he said in their snap surveys they found the youths being most affected due to substance abuse.
“But from a few surveys that we have come across, for example, about 60 percent of hospital admissions are currently due to substance misuse or abuse of substances especially among young people. Most of the state psychiatric institutions are full as I speak due to various mental health conditions. So that on its own its an indication that there is a massive increase of the number of people suffering from mental illnesses.
“Because prior you would go to a psychiatric institution probably its half empty but now when you go, probably you might not get the admission that you want because the wards will be full. So that on its own is an indication that the services are being overwhelmed by the increase in the number of cases,” he said.
The organisation last week received a $11 000 grant from the US government which they plan to create a nutritional garden to benefit HIV/AIDS patients and the mentally ill.
“We are very grateful for the support that we got today. The support is going to establish a nutritional garden at one of our community rehabilitation centres in Ruwa known as Tirivanhu therapeutic community centre. At that centre we do rehabilitation for people who recovering from mental illnesses. This concept is more like a system to bridge the gap between hospitals and the community. So when patients have been medically from through the hospital, they pass through the centre where we continue, or take over with the treatment by way of equipping them be able to lead a more independent and productive life.
At the therapeutic centre they provide life skills training services.
“So we train them in various life skills, which include horticulture, small animal husbandry, clothing and various life skills that will impact on that individual. So with this project we are going to establish a nutritional garden, which will benefit both the clients at the centre and also the community members. The community members we are targeting people with HIV/AIDS because of the obvious link between, HIV/AIDS and mental illnesses. When one has such a chronic condition, their mental being is also affected in one way or the other.
“Even with untreated HIV and AIDS, if it’s not treated, it might even affect one’s brain and eventually, the person might suffer from mental illnesses. The other link of course is that people with mental illnesses may not be accessing HIV and AIDS treatment so we are trying to bridge that gap by creating a nutritional garden where people with mental illness will learn from people with HIV/AIDS. And those with HIV/AIDS will also interact with or kind of learn mental health issues from their counterparts.
The project will benefit 200 households.
“So, we are going to have about 200 beneficiaries, 200 households in Ruwa are going to benefit from the project. So, the project is a nutritional garden of about three and a half hectares where each household will have their piece of land, to grow horticulture crops which when they sell after producing, it will go a long way in improving their livelihood, give them food security and of course there is going to be surplus which they can sell, and meet some of their day to day needs including medication.
“Why medication? Its because people we are targeting have medical conditions like HIV/AIDS, they regularly need medication besides, medication to do with HIV ir mental illness, or when you have this condition, you are vulnerable to other medical health problems. So, the nutrition garden is going to provide that income for them to access help. But in addition, it’s a way of empowering people with HIV/AIDS and also those with mental illness through various skills that will be part of the project. They will be trained in terms of production, marketing of their crops, so they are going to benefit a lot in terms of socio-economic function.,” he said.
