‘Mental welfare of inmates a priority’

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
Government is committed to improving the welfare of mental patients, including those in prisons, and will be treating their concerns as a priority.

This comes amid revelations that an estimated 300 inmates, half of whom were cleared by the courts, were awaiting review from a special tribunal for them to be released.

Secretary for Health and Child Care Dr Agnes Mahomva said this while presenting oral evidence on the Mental Health Tribunal Review Board (MHTRB) before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care in Harare on Tuesday.

Dr Mahomva said while reports from her ministry indicated that there were no pending cases awaiting review, she was prepared to review the parliamentarians’ report.

“From the information that I have, the tribunal has been sitting since it came into office and currently does not have any pending cases before it from special institutions namely Chikurubi and Mlondolozi mental institutions,” she said.