Fri, 23 Dec 2016 09:08:48 +0000
By KALOBWE BWALYA
DEVELOPMENT Bank of Zambia (DBZ) has donated 50 mattress to Chainama Hills Hospital psychiatric department as part of its social corporate responsibility to the community as well as a Christmas present during this festival season.
Finance Minister Felix Mutati said Government is committed to improving infrastructure at institutions such as Chainama Hospital.
Mr Mutati said in a speech read on his behalf by DBZ managing director Jacob Lushinga during the handover of 50 mattress at Chainama Hospital that Government was pleased that the bank had donated 50 mattresses to the hospital which would contribute to the well-being of people with mental illnesses.
“There is no doubt that not stigmatising the mentally ill will contribute to reducing social stress relations in our communities. We have witnessed how most families with mentally ill relatives carry themselves.
“And there is a general view that people with mental illness are violent and dangerous. Some people believe that mental illnesses are sometimes conditions that are self-inflicted,” Mr Mutati said.
Mr Mutati said it was high time people with mental illness were treated with dignity because they too deserved quality life.
He said there was need for Zambians to combine efforts to fight stigma against people with mental illnesses.
“There is overwhelming evidence that shows that public education programmes have been effective in changing perception regarding mental illness. You have to come up with programmes aimed at assisting health care providers that have not undergone training in caring for patients with mental challenges and this will reduce cases of mishandling mental patients by other health care providers,” Mr Mutati said.
And Chainama Hospital Acting Superintendent Dr. Anita Besa said Chainama Hospital was facing a lot of challenges particularly that of infrastructure.
