Mrs. Caroline Sokoni
As part of commemorating this year’s International Women’s Day, the Public Protector Mrs. Caroline Sokoni has called upon government to establish more mental hospitals across the country in order to decongest Chainama Mental Hospital.
Mrs. Sokoni was
speaking in a speech read on her behalf by Office of the Public Protector Chief
Administrator, Mr. Kebby Hakalima, when the office conducted cleaning exercise
of the wards at the hospital.
Mrs. Sokoni
noted that a lot of women are at risk of being exposed to mental breakdown due
to factors such as Gender Based Violence, drug abuse by young women and harsh
economic challenges among others.
Further, the
Public Protector expressed concern at the discrimination people with
disabilities face when accessing services from public institutions.
She has since
urged public institutions and officials to be inclusive and offer quality
services to members of the public regardless of their status.
The Public
Protector warned that the institution stands ready to move in and deal with any
public official or institution that engages in any form of maladministration
such as discrimination in line with the law which mandates the office of the
public protector to offer added protection to vulnerable groups in society such
as women, children and people with disabilities.
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Public Protector has since called upon cooperating partners to come on board in
helping Chainama Mental Hospital to curb the main challenges the hospital is
facing in order for the hospital to offer quality mental health services to the
members of the public.
Speaking when
she received a team from the Office of Public Protector, Chainama Mental
Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent, Dr. Margaret Chibowa thanked the Office
of the Public Protector for taking a lead in recognizing the critical role the
hospital plays in offering mental health services to the members of the public.
Dr. Chibowa said
the Hospital was established in 1962 to carter for only 500 patients but that
population has since increased to above 15,000 in a month.
She added that
the infrastructure at the hospital has since lived its usefulness and requires
urgent modernization to bring it to life as it has not seen facelift since its
establishment.
She said the
hospital has also seen an increase in the number of activities in its premises
such as establishment of a university which has put pressure on the water
reticulation and sewer system.
The cleaning
exercise at Chainama Mental Hospital is one of the activities the Office of the
Public Protector has lined up in commemorating this year’s International
Women’s Day.
The office also
conducted awareness programmes to sensitize members of the staff at the
hospital on issues relating to maladministration in public service delivery.
This is
according to statement issued to the media by the Senior Public Relations
Officer Office of the Public Protector Smart Kalaluka.
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