Mental health has been neglected in the country because the patients do not have a voice to air their issues, Governor Lee Kinyanjui said on Wednesday.
He observed that there were only a few Mental Health treatment facilities with families travelling long distances in search of services.
Kinyanjui said this explains why many mental health patients were left to roam the streets and die desperately because their kin either feared the cost of treatment or assumed that it is not curable.
Speaking at the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital when he graced the opening of a new psychiatric wing, the Governor reiterated the need for awareness against the stigmatisation of mentally sick people and their families.
The opening was also meant to celebrate this year's mental awareness month whose theme is 'Time to get back to basics'.
“With support from, mentally ill people can be treated, heal and lead normal lives,” said Kinyanjui.
He lamented that many patients who had healed were still stuck in the hospitals because they were homeless and shunned by their families due to stigma while some patients cannot remember their names, leave alone their origin.
“The hospital is working with social workers to try and reintegrate the cured people with their families,” he added.
He at the same time urged friends, family and relatives to be on the lookout for their kin with mental illnesses, support them without judging and have them treated in good time.
Kinyanjui also urged men who rarely seek treatment to be open with their mental issues and stress instead of escalating it with alcohol.
He observed that some of the patients at the Rift Valley PGH Psychiatric ward were from different parts of the country and three were foreigners.
“The County Government of Nakuru, Department of Health in talks with embassies to plan on how the three can be repatriated back to their countries, this situation is proof that health is truly universal,” said Kinyanjui.
He discouraged the youth from ingesting drugs and alcohol because some of the young patients at the psychiatric ward had drug abuse induced mental issues.
