Type to search

More mental health admissions as drug abuse rises in Midlands

Health Latest

More mental health admissions as drug abuse rises in Midlands

Share

Sydney Mubaiwa 

MIDLANDS BUREAU 

 GWERU – There are more patients with mental health problems being admitted in the Midlands as cases of drug abuse increase in the province, a senior Government official has said.

Gweru Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Dr Mary Muchekeza said Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH) is attending to an average of 12 cases per month.

She was speaking on the sidelines of the commissioning of the US$200 000 GPH Opportunistic Infection (OI) and Antiretroviral Treatment Therapy (ART) Center of Excellence which was officially opened by the Midlands Minister of State Larry Mavima on behalf of Vice President and the Minister of Health and Child Care Constantino Chiwenga on Friday last week. 

“We have increased admissions into our mental health facility because of substance abuse. The cases have been on the rise and obviously we have not been fully prepared to manage the increased numbers,” she said.

Muchekeza said there is need for a multi-stakeholders approach to curb drug and substance abuse.

“The facilities that we currently have may not be enough and we need to look at this problem holistically,” she said.

Speaking on the OI and ART Center of Excellence, Muchekeza said the new facility will go a long way in assisting the hospital to manage HIV cases.

The hospital has currently registered 3 600 patients and continues to get new patients on a daily basis.

“The new facility is going to give expanded space, more confidentiality to our patients which was not possible in a small squashed facility and now the space will allow to give a much better and higher quality service,” she said.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error

Enjoy our stories? Please spread the word: