We’re prepared to deal with trauma, say Health officials

The Ministry of Health has said it is prepared to offer health and counselling services to Rwandans who may be traumatised during the forthcoming Genocide commemoration week.“This year, we want to increase our support for victims with signs of emotional distress and other psychiatric disorders during this tough period. We have trained enough health professionals who will be deployed across the country to come to the rescue of anyone who suffers trauma,” Yvonne Kayiteshonga, the Head of Mental Health Division at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said at a news briefing yesterday.The ministry will coordinate the work in conjunction with the National Commission for the fight against Genocide (CNLG) and the umbrella Association of Genocide Survivors, Ibuka.During the Genocide commemoration week, it is common for people to suffer emotional stress and trauma, especially after being overcome by bitter memories.MoH statistics show that in 2011, over 550 people, 89 per cent of them women and girls, were treated for emotional breakdown during the commemoration period.“We will also inform the public about the state of advancement of the general organisation of interventions for 2012. Those who have relatives, friends, neighbours or even strangers who suffer trauma in the period can directly call toll free number 114 for emergency services,” Kayiteshonga said, adding that all venues of commemoration will be supervised by teams specialised in mental health. The Director of Research at the Institute of Research and Dialogue for Peace (IRDP), Naason Munyandamutsa, said health supervision was paramount because trauma cases had spiralled to the younger generation.“Studies show that the younger generation, including those that were not yet born during the Genocide, suffer emotional trauma. For most of them, it is usually because of the stories they are told or the films they watch about the Genocide, whereas for others actually they come from families that were torn apart by the Genocide,” observed Munyandamutsa, also a psychiatrist.“Our efforts have to be overreaching so that nobody is left out; these young people are easily hurt when they imagine such cruelty happening to a loved one.”He, however, added that since graphic films detailing the violence during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi were greatly limited, children would be a little safer from trauma.“Since last year, graphic films and images about the Genocide were reduced because of the traumatic cases we received after people had watched them at the (Amahoro) stadium. We realised that some people are not yet strong enough and can suffer permanent mental disorders if they are constantly shown graphic films about the Genocide,” he said.The commemoration will start on April 7 under the theme; “Let us learn from our history to shape a bright future.”