- Abdallah says government has made plans for many vulnerable Kenyans but forgot the mentally ill.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Mentally ill persons roaming the streets of Mombasa and other areas are at high risk of contracting coronavirus and should be taken care of, activist Amina Abdallah has said.
The activist on Saturday said the government had made splendid plans to cushion many vulnerable Kenyans from the highly contagious disease but had forgotten the mentally ill.
“There is no way the government can think of alleviating the suffering of Kenyans without thinking about the mentally ill people roaming the streets,” Abdallah said.
Speaking at the Port Reitz Hospital for the mentally ill when she went to pick three of four patients who had recovered after weeks of treatment, Abdallah said the government should make special plans for the mentally ill.
Through the Mombasa Women Empowerment Network which she chairs, Abdallah rounded up 28 mentally ill people in Mombasa in a programme meant to treat and rehabilitate them.
After successful treatment and rehabilitation, the patients will be returned to their families.
The programme is also meant to equip the recovered patients with life skills to sustain them. The network will facilitate small businesses for them.
However, with the advent of the coronavirus, the network’s intended rehabilitation centre has not been opened.
On Saturday, four of the patients who had been taken to Port Reitz under the programme were discharged after successful treatment.
Abdallah said they would be taken to their families for care before being taken to the rehab when it opens after the coronavirus pandemic is over.
The families will be trained on how to handle and take care of the recovered patients.
Stigma is the only worry Abdallah fears the recovered patients will be subjected to, which may cause a relapse.
“The rehab, which has a capacity of 26, is ready but we could not open it because of coronavirus. This is where we would be training the families and the care givers on how to take care of the recovered patients.
“We will officially open it after the pandemic is over and admit them there starting with these four,” Abdallah said.
She called on the government to consider the mentally ill people in Kenyan streets for treatment.
“Before the government thinks of any drastic measures like locking down some counties or the country at large, they should think of a way to help this vulnerable group,” Abdallah said.
She said many of the mentally ill people in Mombasa depend on food thrown out of hotels, bars and restaurants but since most of them were shut down they have nowhere to get food.
The activist said it was time the government set aside a budget to cater for the mentally ill, just like it does for the HIV/AIDS victims and cancer patients.
“Mental illness is a disease like any other and can be treated. When thinking of HIV/AIDS and cancer, the government should also consider mental illness in their budget,” she said.
Edited by Henry Makori