By Kuda Pembere, recently in Gweru
Persons Who Use and Inject Drugs (PWUID) have urged the government to expedite the establishment of public rehabilitation centres, citing unaffordable costs at private facilities.
Currently, there are no state-owned rehab centres, but the government claims to have identified suitable locations across all provinces for future facilities.
During a two-day harm reduction workshop organized by SAYWHAT in Gweru, Jonathan, a participant and drug user, posed a question to Chipo Ziweva, the Mental Health Officer from the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Bulawayo Provincial Medical Directorate.
Regarding the public services you plan to provide, how soon can we access them? Every day, more people are being introduced to drugs,” said Jonathan.
“The quicker you implement these services, the faster we can address this problem. Please, let this not just be a statement to make us feel better; we need concrete information on affordable centres.”
Another participant, Lucky, highlighted the prohibitive costs of private rehabilitation centres in Harare.
“I’ve been to rehab twice. The Borrowdale Halfway House charges US$1,000 a week,” he said. “We need public, affordable rehabilitation centres offering the same quality of services as private ones. Not everyone can afford these costs, yet so many people need help.”
Responding to the concerns, Mrs. Ziweva acknowledged the demand for affordable rehab facilities but could not provide a timeline for their establishment.
“I don’t have an exact date, like January or April, but I can confirm that everything is in place. We’ve identified buildings in all provinces, and we’re just waiting for the government to allocate funds,” she said. “We are working tirelessly to ensure these rehab centres become operational.”
For Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, private rehabilitation centres remain costly, with fees ranging from US$300 to US$500 per week.
“From our discussions, the cheapest rehab options in Bulawayo cost between US$300 and US$350 per week, while more expensive ones go up to US$500,” said Ziweva. “A typical rehab program lasts three to six months, but most people can only afford one or two weeks, which isn’t enough to make meaningful progress. I can’t speak for other provinces, but Harare seems to have even higher fees.”
