MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT SOUNDS SOS FOLLOWING BUDGET CUT TO HEALTH SECTOR

By Kenson McCloud 

One of the country’s mental health activists Mwiza Mphande has faulted authorities for trimming the budget towards the health sector, which he warns will impact mental health efforts.

Mphande told Timveni that it is uninspiring that the proposed 2021/2022 National Budget has had the health sector given K187 Billion representing 9.4% of the total budget.   

"The country is still lagging behind in terms of enhancing mental health awareness," said Mphande.

 Mphande further bemoaned shortage of expertise in the field which has been a challenge for a quite long time.

"It is high time the government treated mental health as a primary health care service in all district hospitals across the country," said Mphande.

During the 2020/2021 financial calendar,   government recruited about 1246 health workers in different positions none of which was a clinical psychologist.