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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
AT least 40 percent of new admissions at Ingutsheni Central Hospital are young male drug abusers with authorities calling for immediate action as the situation is getting out of control.
The psychiatric hospital admits at least 50 patients per month.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro recently told Senators that the country is experiencing a new wave of drug abuse as youths were taking hard drugs like crystal meth, cocaine and heroin.
Ingutsheni Central Hospital, which is one of the country’s biggest referral psychiatric medical centres, said if society does not act now, the country could lose a lot of youths to drugs.
Ingutsheni Central Hospital clinical director Dr Wellington Ranga said if the drug problem is a war, the country is losing it.
“Drug use is basically a reflection of how society is functioning. I sometimes call it psychopathology as it is now, they are generally on the increase in the community. The younger generation is the one that is now abusing them.
The situation is getting out of control and what is worrying is the type of drugs that are being abused,” said Dr Ranga.
“It’s no longer the traditional beer or cannabis we are used to but they are now adding a few other things. The school going age is abusing broncho and it is smuggled from South Africa mainly. We are having crystal meth on top of the cocaine and heroin which are also on the market as well.”
He said most of the patients they attend to are males.
“In terms of admissions we have teenagers up to the early 20s. Those ones when they come here, they would have lost it. On a monthly basis we are getting at least 40 to 50 patients. But by age up to 40 percent are drug users of which most of them are males,” he said.
Dr Ranga said what the hospital has observed is that drug abusers are aware of the dangers posed by the substances they are taking but take them just to fit in social circles.
“We need to sort out our community structure. If you noticed, the drug abuse problem is coming from home. When you look at their homes, some of them are coming from broken families. This thing of saying let’s conscientise people about drugs is not taking us anywhere especially when the situation at home is not attended to, it will not work.,” said Dr Ranga.
He said institutionalisation of drug addicts is not a solution as they relapse when they return to their homes after being hospitalised.
Dr Ranga said police should step up efforts to rid society of drug dealers.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said dealing with the issue of drug abuse does not solely lie with the police.
“Most of the people are taking drugs through soft drinks in parties and drugs are being transported to consumers in small quantities. Most of the drug addicts present themselves as very sober and respectable people. They abuse drugs in very secluded and confidential places. As police, we rely on information that is supplied to us by the public,” said Insp Ncube.
“We have been scoring successes in terms of arresting drug abusers or drug peddlers after receiving information from members of the public. But to effectively address the drug issue, everyone should play their role.
“While we have arrested third party dealers, we want to know who the real suppliers are and where the drugs are coming from. If we arrest the third parties, that will not stop the supplier, because the market is ever growing.
“There is a lot of gangsterism and loitering along the Haddon and Sly Complex area. There is some suspicious behaviour within that area and we expect the business community operating from that area to work with the police and expose any illicit behaviours that would be happening in that area,” said Insp Ncube. — -@nqotshili
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