Zimbabwe is struggling to offer proper drug abuse rehabilitation services with majority of patients currently being admitted in psychiatric units in public health institutions which in most cases, are ill equipped to provide drug abuse rehabilitation services.
By Michael Gwarisa
In 2022, data from the Ministry of Health and Child Care indicated that 75 percent to 85 percent of bed occupancy in mental health institutions was due to substance use. Information gathered by this publication recently reveals that public health facilities are struggling to deal with the swelling numbers of hospitalizations due to drug and substance abuse and in most cases, patients are being turned away due to shortage of human resources and hospitals capacity to accommodate the patients.
On the other hand, private psychiatric facilities are charging an arm and leg for treatment and admission time. Cost for consultation in private rehabilitation facilities range from US$90 to US$100.00 while admission can go for US$80.00 per day.
In an interview with HealthTimes, Wilson Box, the Chief Executive Officer for Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) said drug and substance use was an emergency and there was need for government and private sector to work together to address the issue of access to rehabilitation services.
The costs of drug abuse related rehab is very astronomical and beyond the reach of many. Possibly, what the government could do is to sit down with the private sector and come up with a deal which will ensure that the majority of people will be in a position to access the private health sector through possibly subsidising a particular percentage or giving an incentive to the private health sector in terms of tax so that the private sector continues to make a profit even after offering services at affordable rates,” said Box.
Harare currently has a number of registered Private Psychiatric Hospitals which include Borrowdale, Highlands and Mandara Manor facilities. However, there has also been proliferation on illegal facilities offering services at cheaper rate but offering substandard services.
In the long term however, Box suggested that government establishes institutions where people who use drugs can be admitted and receive professional services.
Speaking during a virtual meeting that was hosted by the Pharmaceutical Association of Zimbabwe (PAZ) to mark World Drug Abuse Awareness day, Highlands Wellness Clinical Psychologist and General Manager, Tinashe Katikiti said while public health institutions are the most affordable, they are not doing much in terms of rehabilitating drug addicts.
“The main problem in the issue of substance abuse is the actual access and repetitive use of substances. Rehabilitation gives someone a controlled environment. In terms of what we have for treatment in Zimbabwe, it ranges from your most basic starting from public health institutions. At a public level which is what most people are able to access, you find that we are only providing acute care which is your stabilisation.
“Someone will come in for 21 days for substances, they’re violent psychotic etc. But because of lack of resources, admission in public psychiatric institution is limited, its short stayed but it actually doesn’t do much in terms of rehabilitation,” said Katikiti.
On the other extreme, Zimbabwe has very long stay facilities which are Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital in Mazvingo, Ingutsheni Hospital in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe also has rehabilitation services being offered in prison and correctional services psychiatric facilities. These according to Katikiti are for long term chronic patients and they are not doing much in terms of rehabilitation.
“You find in the middle that there is a gap where you need your medium stay and actual proper rehabilitation programs which are not available and unfortunately that is where most of the population relies on.”
