The Mental Health Users Network of Zambia (MHUNZA) has bemoaned the lack of adequate Psychiatrists to attend to the growing number of Mental Patients in the country.
MHUNZA Coordinator Caroline Kaunda has disclosed that out of the 10 Psychiatric personal trained by government to attend to patients, only two are in the country.
Dr. Kaunda also urged government to quickly consider revise the current act on mental health and make it more effective to address the challenges that they patients face.
She explained that to due to weak laws and lack of enough medical personal to attend to mental patients, patients countrywide have faced many problems such as discrimination and stigma which has also lead to increased HIV/AIDS cases among the them.
Dr. Kaunda was speaking at a Seminar for the Parliamentary Committee on Health in Lusaka today.
And Parliamentary Committee on Health Chairperson Munji Habeenzu assured the Network that the committee will ensure that Act is amended to improve the living conditions of Patients.
Mr. Habeenzu noted that there is need for people in society to protect the interests of mental patients adding that they also have certain privileges that they must enjoy as Human beings.
He further added that he will ensure that the majority of Parliamentarians supports the bill when it will be brought for consideration in the House.
ZANIS
Not enough Psychiatrists, Radiologists, Pathologists, Microbiologists, Virologists, Plastic surgeons, Neurosurgeons, Paediatric surgeons, Paediatricians, Otolaryngologists, Ophthalmologists, Maxillo-facial surgeons, Pharmacologists, Occupational therapists, Speech therapists, Social workers, Nutritionists, Diabetologists, Oncologists, Audiologists, Optometrists, Opticians, Dentists, Dental surgeons, Laboratory technologists, Anaesthesiologists, ….WHO CARES? Those who have can have these services in South Africa!
Something is being done at Chainama in collaboration with other stakeholders e.g. Leeds in the UK to address this. Instead of wasting time talking, GRZ should sit with Chainama management and the Ministry of Health to resolve some of the issues previously highlighted.
More people need Psychiatrists’ help,I mean just look at how #1 has responded to the subject matter.
#1 poor zambian can not afford to travel to s.africa. The gvt has failed itself. Most senior officers are flown to s.africa for treatment. Why not establishing such services in Zambia to benefit every Zambian not only ministers who use gvt funds to fly there for medical treatment. Even Chiluba still fighting criminal cases in court benefits from gvt… kawalala enjoying state benefits??? Zam zam where are u heading? Too much money wasted leading to no development : (
#3 and 4Sense the irony or tongue in cheek!
On “Dr. Kaunda also urged government to quickly consider revise the current act on mental health and make it more effective to address the challenges that they patients face“, is this Psychiatric Dr Caroline Kaunda or KK?
By the way who honoured KK with a doctorate or is he a traditional doctor?.
Be blessed all.
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Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with with horses? and [if] in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
the easiest thing to do is to sacrifice a few years and train for starters 10 students who aspire to be doctors every 2 yrs.as in like its done in some countries .how can u a country have 2 psych doctors honestly???even 5 students can start n in turn the next generation will be educated by them.and unza should try and stop failing a large number of its students.
# 3& 4, you really missed the irony in #1’s comments. Number 6, I find your contribution about Dr. Kenneth Kaunda to be debasing. Let me break it down for you. He has 8 honorary Doctor of Laws degrees conferred by universities from all over the world: Fordham, USA (1963); Dublin, Ir. (1964); Sussex, UK (1965); Chile (1966); Windsor, Canada (1966); York (1966); UNZA (1974); Humboldt (1980). By the way, spare us the Bible quotes in mediaval english.
#8 greetings, following your ““, to your detriment I will never stop writing what I need to write for I do not write to please or appease you. So spare yourself reading my comments if your are that terrible at appreciating freedom of expression imbeded in the Zambian Constitution.
As for Mr Kanneth D. Kaunda (Munali Secondary School, probably Standard 10?), find his CV on w w w . whoswhosa . co . za / Pages / profilefull . a s p x ? IndID = 4635
Be blessed all.
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Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with with horses? and [if] in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
#8 greetings, following your “By the way, spare us the Bible quotes in mediaval english“, to your detriment I will never stop writing what I need to write for I do not write to please or appease you. So spare yourself reading my comments if your are that terrible at appreciating freedom of expression imbeded in the Zambian Constitution.
Be blessed all.
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Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with with horses? and [if] in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Maestro Hakucincha
This is not KK. This is Caroline Kaunda who has an interest in Psychiatry as a Mental Health user. She should be Ms Kaunda actually because I think she is a dentist. But in Zambia the title DR has been given to all sorts of people so a dentist better qualifies. She is a good dentist though!
I think that people do not understand the dire straits our Zambian Health Service is in. One reason is because we have never known better so we think we have a UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL! Most Zambians are less than 30 years old so they were either in kindergarten or yet unborn when we had a University Teaching Hospital! Strictly speaking it should not have University accreditation at all and should be down graded to a Provincial General Hospital. We are so’ lucky’ that most patients present with infections, such as TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS related complications.
11/2 THE SAINT greetings and thanks.
On your “Most Zambians are less than 30 years old so they were either in kindergarten or yet unborn when we had a University Teaching Hospital! Strictly speaking it should not have University accreditation at all and should be down graded to a Provincial General Hospital.” Firstly, I am below 30 years of age. Secondly, UTH has got UNZA ridgeway campus attached to it as well as a Nursing Training School. UNZA trains Pharmacists, Doctors, Degree Nurses, etc. at UTH — name stays.
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Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with with horses? and [if] in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
I will depart from the topic at hand on comment on #6,8 &9.The Doctorates which were conferred on KK were in recognition of leadership and roles he played in championing social and political ideals on the African continent.These were ideals that affected the common man in Africa such as freedom from colonialism.
Despite KK having a humble educational background,his leadership abilities and qualities will forever surpass those of HH with his bachelors degree,MBA and numerous post graduate certificates.
. #14. Independent >> YEAH . THATS CORRECT
This idea of comparing the uncomparables does not make sense at all. I can tell you for a fact that today’s grade 12s are not anywhere near in knowledge terms to a form 2 of the 1950/60s. Some of those graduates you see today could never have been graduates in those days. Also don’t forget that modern day living doesn’t equip you with much responsibility at all. In those days, just to live by the day, you had to perform some chores and hence we learnt responsibility at an early age. So don compare KK to HH or me to ka Chiluba, we are generations apart.
Z needs to decentralize it’s health care system. This will enable the country to monitor, communicate, specialise, improve and implement programs. Is it possibe that the Ministry of Health is too big they can not keep an eye on all programs. In my humble opinion Zed needs to go back to basics. What proffessions are students choosing when they finish their O’levels? Why isn’t it being made an attractive industry to work in? What are the incentives in pay? Is there an institute or project manager answerable to the progress of certain sectors in Zed. PROBLEM Zed is not integrating their intellectuals, youth etc into the system. you need to plant a seed to grow a fruit if you plant an orange don’t expect bananas.
Iwe Kaunda why can’t you train yourself and become ifyofine
I totally agree with 14 and 15. The Kaunda generation did not attain University level education for lack of ability but opportunity. These guys were bright enough to have gone on to greater academic achievements. Some of those who managed to go to Universities, were sponsored by philanthropic whites. I know one who became a doctor because his father was a ‘house boy’ to a generous white man. Others were lured to work in the colonial civil service and mines with a life style their parents could have only dreamed of. In any case, Zambia’s first cabinet was full of graduates, but those guys were so humble that they had no chips on their shoulders to refuse to be led by a ‘Form 2.’ Mainza Chona was a Barrister from Grey’s Inn, London, …
Maestro Hakucincha
Greetings at the beginning of the week.
I know about UTH. In this day and age for a hospital to qualify for teaching and training a doctor, it must have a full compliment of ALL specialties and sub-specialties. UTH is deficient. We do not have trained specialists in some fields but we have generalists with an interest in a specialty. What I mean is, you may have a general physician who is interested in heart disease, but that does not make him a cardiologist! You may have a general surgeon who is interested in the brain, that does not make him a neurosurgeon. These are specialised areas of training and it takes a minimum of 3 years post generalist training to get there. If people are happy with the status quo, so be it.