Jails are full of mental patients

By Mbena Mwanatongoni

A forensic psychiatrist is making a worrying revelation: About one-third of inmates in Tanzanian jails are mentally ill! The situation worsens because there is no policy to treat these prisoners who badly need psychiatric attention!

Renown Dr. Augustine Godman charges in an exclusive interview:

``A policy to allow psychiatrists get into jails in a bid to treat mentally sick inmates will drastically reduce crimes in the country although it might sound difficult to believe this.``

Dr. Godman suggests a number of solutions to redress the appalling situation.These include an intensive investment in training psychiatrists which he says is currently conspicuously absent, Government acknowledgement of the prominence of those professionals and availability of resources.

The middle-aged psychiatrist has spent most of his time in study in an area that he calls his preserve and which he says is highly stigmatised.

``Many people look down upon any mentally deranged persons, although I cannot dismiss that there are few sympathetic ones,`` he says.

He adds: ``These few sympathetic ones should be cause for putting emphasis on training of professionals in this particular area of study.``

Saying he is the only forensic psychiatrist in Tanzania, he is presently engaged in private practice after leaving public service for what he says stemmed from poor pay and non-recognition.

However, he does not apportion blame, save for the absence of a policy to train specialists in that vital area of study, citing the US which is heavily investing in it despite estimates that only about 20 per cent of its population are affected by mental disorders.

``If a country boasting of many psychiatrists has a fifth of its population suffering from mental illnesses, what about ours with a much higher infection rate but without specialists ?

This is a serious issue that needs to be looked into with all the necessary keenness and attention,`` he proposes.

Adds the consultant psychiatrist-cum-addiction expert: ``Do you know that it is a wrong approach to uproot bhang crops from farms?

Has it ever crossed your mind that these growers never smoke it but only cultivate it to make money?

It is a kind of a cash crop to them and the most appropriate answer is to give them an alternative means of making money.

The same goes for `gongo` illicit brew. The brewers do not drink it. To them it is a money-spinner.``

He concedes, though, that it will take a long time to have things moving in a direction that aims at controlling mental illnesses in the country considering the little importance attached to it.

The ministry of Health and Social Welfare during this financial year will through Mirembe Special Hospital for the sick offer improved treatment and investigation to the mental patients referred there from different hospitals in the country.

Health Minister Professor David Mwakyusa told Parliament when tabling his ministry`s estimates that the hospital will also improve its services to drug addicts and alcoholics through public awareness campaigns as well as capacity facilitation to regional hospitals for early identification of drug victims.

He said Isanga Institute too will improve its services for the mentally sick who have committed criminal offences who upon recovery would be discharged.

He said Regional Social Welfare Officers would be involved to assist in tailoring a procedure that will eventually allow these people to be integrated back into society.

Dr. Godman says the annual prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents is not well documented due to the absence of specialists for the stigmatised illness.