EASTERN PROVINCE NGOMA — Rwandans have been called upon to avoid stigmatising patients with mental illness. The call was made last week by Dr. Chantal Murekatete, an official from the Ministry of Health at Kibungo Hospital, Ngoma district during the celebrations to mark the international Mental Health Day at the district level. Murekatete observed that many people with mental illness have been abandoned by their families which partly lead to increase of lunatics on streets. She called on Rwandans to render assistance to such people whenever they are regardless of the relationship. The day also marked the inauguration of the hospital’s newly rehabilitated ward for people with mental illness. The building was rehabilitated by the Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC). Murekatete urged the residents to utilise the hospital by bringing all those people with mental illness there. She promised help in giving more training to the hospital medical staff towards reducing the rising cases of metal illness in the district and the country in general. Kibungo Hospital has since 2001, when it started operating a mental ward, admitted 1,574 patients with mental illness- 272 of whom were admitted this year alone, according to the hospital officials. Present was also the district Mayor, Francois Niyotwagira, who promised help especially in transporting the mentally sick from villages to the hospital for treatment. Niyotwagira however, observed that many people in Ngoma believe in native doctors which he said has hampered efforts of stemming the disease in the area. “Those are false doctors,” he said calling on residents to always take their patients to hospital instead of taking them to native doctors. The celebrations were marked by a procession of students of Kibungo Institute of Nursing and Mid-wife and the hospital nurses among others, cultural dances and plays on how the mentally sick can be treated. Ends
