There is something fundamentally wrong with our society and more so those managing the health sector. How could a whole four hours of health deliberation address of 50 per cent of our health issues and give a blackout to the other 50 per cent.
The Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Policy 2015-2030 echoes World Health Organization’s mantra that “there is no health without mental health”. The whole summit deliberated solely on physical health as if mental illnesses don’t exist in this country!
As a taxpayer and a mental health advocate, I am extremely saddened by the turn of events, coming just 4 months after CS Mailu launched the Mental Health Policy that talks about mainstreaming mental health in our health sector.
What happened yesterday is a shame. The government has sent a very clear message. On mental health, you are on your own! It is nowhere in the government’s priority list! The government has clearly placed mental health on the back burner, yet the same government’s Mental Health Policy says, “25% of outpatients and up to 40% of in-patients in health facilities suffer from mental conditions”
I am not surprised that this government allocates on 0.1 per cent of health budget to mental health. A closer look at the mental health facilities confirms this state of neglect.
In February, the National Assembly Health Committee members were shocked by the state of neglect when they visited Mathari hospital. They promised to raise the issue in Parliament but nothing has been heard from the Committee since.
The Mental Health Policy 2015-2030 is one year old now. How has the government implemented the interventions it promised when launching the policy? Are there any deliberate steps made to mainstream mental health in our healthcare system?
While launching the policy in May, CS Mailu stated that 25 per cent of Kenyans will suffer from mental ill health at some point in their lives. It seemed today that CS Mailu had no time for this segment of the population.
The Constitution of Kenya 2010, in article 43. (1)(a) Provides that “every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to healthcare services” This includes mental health care.
It is high time the government walks the talk. It’s time the government stopped entrenching and institutionalizing mental health stigma in Kenya.
The Author is mental health and child rights advocate and the Founder/CEO of Psychiatric Disability Organization. He can be reached on: iregim@gmail.com Website: http://www.pdokenya.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Psychiatricdisability/
