President Mnangagwa breaks new ground First head of State to tour Ingutsheni Central Hospital

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa on Friday made history by becoming the first Head of State to visit Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s largest psychiatric facility.

He pledged US$1 million towards its rehabilitation after years of deterioration and mounting capacity challenges.

The rare but significant visit underscored the Second Republic’s commitment to ensuring “no one and no place is left behind”, breathing life into an institution that houses close to 1 000 of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

A special fundraising luncheon aimed at raising US$5 million for the hospital’s rehabilitation secured over US$2,1 million in donations. Additional contributions included food, detergents, toiletries and services from the business community and well-wishers.

Hospital Chief Medical Officer Dr Nemache Mawere expressed gratitude at the unprecedented visit.
“We are very grateful to host you as the first-ever Head of State to visit Ingutsheni. This visit and the luncheon will forever leave a legacy that will spur us to greater heights. Ingutsheni is poised to regain its place as the leading mental hospital in the region and beyond. Our vulnerable mental patients need all the support which can be availed so that they are not left behind when Zimbabwe becomes an upper-middle-income society by 2030,” said Dr Mawere.

Dr Mawere welcomed the President’s donation.
“We feel very happy with the President’s gift, and it’s now time to deliver and complete what we started here at Ingutsheni,” he said.

The President was briefed on the hospital’s critical needs and toured the facility, which opened in 1908. Ingutsheni has expanded its services to include rehabilitation for drug and substance abuse survivors, straining resources and shifting its mandate.

“Currently, Ingutsheni Central Hospital is composed of 14 wards, which are spread on a 130-hectare estate. As of Monday 16 March 2026, the hospital had 630 in-patients against a carrying capacity of 708. There are 187 patients out of 98 beds in Khumalo and 48 patients out of 65 beds in St Mary’s 1 wards, which are the acute wards housing the high burden of alcohol and substance use in the country,” said Dr Mawere.

He noted Khumalo Acute Ward often accommodates 130–200 patients.
“As of 16 March 2026, 53 percent of new admissions were for substance use-related problems. The acute female ward — St Mary’s 1 carries a significant number of substance use patients as well as victims of substance users who include survivors of gender-based violence and sexual assault (rape, sex work, etc.).

The major substances used include alcohol, cannabis, crystal meth and cough mixtures. The other drugs, like cocaine and heroin, are rarely used by the admitted clients,” he said.

Other wards house patients with chronic illnesses complicated by substance use, while Mambo Ward accommodates those who committed serious crimes while mentally ill.

“They are a danger to society, and their families are not keen to receive them back. We thus keep them for life,” Dr Mawere said.

Ingutsheni has also designed a drug rehabilitation unit at St Luke’s II ward, with plans for a step-down approach including hostel facilities and halfway homes.

“A stand-alone and bigger alcohol and substance use facility would have been ideal, but we have to settle for this smaller unit since we have many more competing interests,” he said.

The hospital has 872 staff posts, 770 of which are filled. Training programmes are underway to increase the number of psychiatrists and mental health nurses.

“We have only two Specialist Psychiatrists, and we have started to train seven of our Government Medical Officers in the Masters’ programme with the University of Zimbabwe . . . By December, we will have three new Psychiatrists in Bulawayo who are home-grown,” said Dr Mawere.

He highlighted shortages in nursing staff, support workers and security personnel, while service vehicles frequently break down. President Mnangagwa pledged to repair all ambulances and vehicles. The hospital also requires a laboratory, X-ray facilities and resources to install a dental chair.

Acting Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Anxious Masuka praised the President’s leadership.
“Your personal commitment, particularly through the Presidential Hospital Refurbishment Programme, has set a clear tone for renewal, dignity, and improved service delivery across the country, leaving no hospital and no place behind.

“Ingutsheni Central Hospital remains the largest Mental Health Institution in Zimbabwe. Sadly, with the increased burden of Drug and Substance Abuse, the Khumalo ward for men is the most congested ward with over 100 percent bed occupancy all year round, putting a strain on all resources and infrastructure,” he said.