25 Nov 2015

The Assistant Minister of Health Dr Alfred Madigele says  Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital has one Children’s ward.

However, the assistant minister said there is no specific children out-patient department at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital and children are seen at the general out-patient unit which also caters for adults and admitted whenever indicated.

He said apart from Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, specialist –led psychiatric services in Botswana are provided at Jubilee Psychiatric Unit in Francistown, Mahalapye District Hospital (Psychiatric Unit), Sekgoma Memorial Hospital (psychiatric unit), Scottish Livingstone Hospital and Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital.

“For the rest of the country, services are integrated such that they are provided in the different primary health care facilities by different health care professionals,” said Dr Madigele.

He said the country currently has no mental health professionals who have specialized in childhood mental disorders and instead, care is given by general psychiatrist, general psychologists and psychiatric nurses, so the ratio is 0.

Dr Madigele said his Ministry intends to train these professionals as part of their comprehensive training plan.

The MP for Mmadinare Kefentse Mzwinila had asked the Minister of Health if there is a Children’s Ward at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, if not, what the  procedure  for children requiring In-patient hospitalization was.

He also wanted to know if there is a children’s Outpatient Department at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital; if not what the procedure for children requiring advanced mental health intervention was.

Mr Mzwinila further asked what the other treatment centres for childhood mental health disorders in Botswana apart from Sbrana hospital are.

He also wanted to know the ratio of mental health professionals who specialise in childhood mental health disorders to the number of children who display mental disorders and whether the ratio is optimal for service delivery. Ends