By Evans Dakwa, News Editor
The Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Pulic Works is pleading for donations to capacitate its Drug Rehabilitation Centres as efforts to deal with the drug menace in the country intensify.
The move comes after the Government last year ordered local authorities to identify and provide stand alone drug treatment and rehabilitation centres in response to the increasing problem of drug and substance abuse related mental health problems.
In the same vein, the National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse was established to lead a national response against drug abuse. One of the seven pillars of the Committee, the Resource Mobilisation Pillar has thus issued out a donation plea directed to public and private hospitals, corporate organisations,faith based organisations and the civil society to assist in securing beds for drug rehabilitation centres across the country.
“The National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse is kindly appealing to all private and government institutions to donate beds which are not in use at their facilities….your support in this important national programme is greatly appreciated,” reads part of memo from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, signed by its Permanent Secretary, Dr John Basera.
The Resource Mobilization Pillar in the National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse is mandated to seek, coordinate and pool resources together for all seven(7) pillars so as to enable them to manage the menace of drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe.
“To date sixty-three(63) facilities for drug rehabilitation and livelihood centers have been identified countrywide. Most of the availed rehabilitation institutions are in dire need of hospital admission beds.”
Mental health institutions have reportedly run out of admission space as drug related mental disorders sky rocketed post the COVID-19 era. At the moment approximately 60 % patients admitted in mental health institutions are as a result of substance abuse induced disorders.
The situation has pushed Government to formulate a nationally coordinated response to the problem.