Malawi | Ombudsman observes - mental health services in central region require extra efforts

On 5 December 2017, Malawi Ombudsman Martha Chizuma released a systemic report titled “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”. This is a report on an investigation into allegations of maladministration in the mental health service delivery and injustices on patients with mental disorders in the Central Region of Malawi.

The investigation was based on an investigatory article in one of the Local Sunday newspapers, Nation on Sunday, titled “Bwaila Mental Ward Goes Insane”. The article revealed deplorable conditions patients were living; patients were sleeping on the floor, presence of unattended excreta and spilling water from blocked sewer pipe, and some patients were using water drawn from a sewer. 

The findings of the investigation reveal the following maladministration acts:

• Omission by the Ministry of Health and Population to provide comprehensive information to the general public;
  
  
• Failure to provide space specifically for treating patients with mental disorders;
  
  
• Failure by the Ministry of Health and Population to address persistent problem of acute shortage of psychiatric staff;
  
  
• Failure to enhance the capacity of the districts to handle their patients with mental disorders;
  
  
• Failure by the Ministry of Health and Population to use their Health Education Unit to conduct mass civic education campaigns;
  
  
• Negligence in procurement of psychotropic drugs.

In order to address these maladministration acts, the Ombudsman directed relevant authorities, among others, to inform people in the Central Region on the status of mental health services, address psychiatric staff deficiencies, enhance district hospitals capacity in dealing with mental disorders, provide funds for construction of wards  and finalize adoption of the National Mental Health Policy.

Source: Office of the Ombudsman, Malawi