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By Joyce Mukucha
As part of its commitment towards better health, a local financial institution, EcoBank Zimbabwe Limited has taken action on mental health by donating various items to Parirenyatwa Psychiatric Hospital.
The donation of items which include assorted medicines to last one year, 40 medical beds, assorted medical equipment , disnfectants, water buckets, television set and kitchen utensils is meant to assist in the treatment and care of psychiatric patients.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Harare yesterday, Ecobank board chairman, Emmanuel Gwatidzo said Ecobank has seen it necessary to servicing the needs of the community particularly focusing on supporting mental health departments as well as raising awareness on the importance of mental health and help reduce stigma and discrimination in Zimbabwe.
He highlighted that conversations about mental illness were rare yet it is a big challenge affecting the majority emphasising the need for organisations to work in solidarity in curbing the stigma surrounding it.
“Research has shown that most people have a chance of having mental health illness in their lives. Now, the big question is, why is it that we don’t talk much about mental illness in our everyday life. Why is there so much stigma and shame attached to mental illness? When people think about a person with a physical injury, we show emphathy and support towards them.
“Mental illness is a mental injury and just because we can’t see the wounds and the pain doesn’t make it any less of a struggle and less debilitating for the person. I challenge each one of you to join hands in raising awareness on busting the myths surrounding mental illness and tackling stigma and discrimination in your communities,” he said.
Gwatidzo applauded the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Zimbabwe Trust for always partnering Ecobank to help further the Bank’s ambitions in raising awareness on the importance of mental health and help reduce stigma and discrimination in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Health Dr John Mangwiro who was the guest honour extended his gratitude to Ecobank for the unwavering support it continues to offer the public.
Dr Mangwiro said also emphasised the need to manufacture medicines at a local level to ensure that they become more accessible and affordable to people of different communities.
“The donation by Ecobank will go a long way in alleviating the drug presence here at Parirenyatwa Hospital. Any donation is acceptable and we are very grateful for those donations. As government, we are also working towards making sure that all medicines are locally manufactured and are locally available as a policy because once they are manufactured here they become cheaper and widely available to our people.
“So we are going to move in that direction as we have said, from the previous to the future. I also urge Ecobank to partner with government and other institutions in this noble initiative of of prioritizing mental health,” said Dr Mangwiro.
He also stressed the need to have rehabilitation centres at district and provincial levels to ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to mental health support especially those in hard to reach locations (rural and remote areas).
Speaking at the same event about lived experience, OCD founder, Angelica Mkorongo said it was imperative to have community based rehabilitation and she also stressed the need to work together in supporting communities in raising awareness so that they understand about mental problem.
“Community based rehabilitation is very important, there is need to look back and understand why people are doing what they are doing for example taking drugs. Why is that people with psycho social disabilities are already out there in our communities are not managing. If the community become aware of what is going on, it can help us to proffer solutions for our people.
“Its everyone’s job because its affecting everyone from top right to the bottom and let’s not forget the rural communities that are also suffering from mental health problem. It is also important to make concerted efforts in creating jobs and a new environment for these people so that they don’t keep being in the same community doing the same behaviors.”