01 Jul 2021

Ngami Regional Health Management Team (RHMT) has formed a committee on mental health.

The committee’s main aim is to address issues of mental health in the region.

The committee comprises health officers, Non-Governmental Organisations and different government departments.

Speaking at the launch of the committee in Maun on Tuesday, Ngami RHMT Acting Coordinator, Dr Sandra Maripe-Ebutswe observed that tackling mental health required all the participation of all stakeholders.

Dr Maripe-Ebutswe observed that many factors contributed to mental health, swhich affected both the individual and the community.

She said that mental health disorders were complex and could not be identified by mere observation, hence there was need to have channels in place to address as a district.

Another officer, Ngami RHMT Mental Health Coordinator Ms Jocelyn Wellio said that the psychiatric unit at Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital was overwhelmed with cases of mental health. 

She said the COVID-19 pandemic had also led to an increase in mental health cases with the relapse of old and emergence of new cases.

The RHMT had therefore realised the need to partner with other stakeholders to address the challenge. 

Ms Wellio noted that the psychiatric unit saw between eight and 17 patients on a daily basis and about 160 patients on monthly basis with only 22 beds at the ward. 

She said schizophrenia cases were leading in the district with patients on lifelong treatment followed by substance abuse patients, mood swings patients and suicide related patients.

Ms Wellio said statistics showed that men constituted the highest number of patients compared to women and that youth was the most affected age group. Ends