Parirenyatwa to introduce drug abuse ward

Patricia Mashiri

Zim Now Reporter

Parirenyatwa Mental Hospital has engaged in a massive rehabilitation in order to cater for the growing number of people presenting to the mental health institution.

The mental health institution will be soon introducing a drug and substance abuse ward.

Speaking to journalists, Dr Fungi Mazhandu, Consultant Physiatrist and head of department for the unit said

“We have seen an increase in mental health awareness globally including Zimbabwe and because of that we had an increase in those who have been presenting to the Parirenyatwa Mental Health Institution. This started spilling over from COVID-19. We have managed to do renovations to meet the needs of our populations.

“When I say increasing the care it means we are going to admit more patients giving them better facilities. We are demystifying the stigma around what mental health is,” she said.

Dr Mazhandu said the female ward would now have an outdoor section o allow patients to exercise, garden and relax outside.

Other renovations include the expansion of the occupational therapist department and the outpatients area, an outpatients for children, higher security wall height to curb patients escape.

A call center which will be open 24/7 with a toll free number which will be used for counselling sessions.

“We are trying to make the whole acceptable and pleasurable so that it’s less stigmatized,” Dr Mazhandu said.

…..Kangaroo Mother Care halves neonatal mortality rates

The Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has introduced the Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care which has helped reduced neonatal mortality rate from 50% to 20-25% over the past month.

The Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care has proved to be effective and less costly than the use of incubators.

Speaking to journalists during a tour of the Kangaroo Mother Care Unit at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital, Dr Alexander Stevenson, Specialist Neonatologist explained how the procedure works.

“Christian was born at 28 weeks. Remember, normal gestation is 40 weeks, so that’s three months early, and his birth weight was 1080 grams. For those of you who don’t know, normal would be around 3000grams.

“So you have a tiny baby. And what the innovation here is, as soon as Christian was born, within seconds before the umbilical cord is cut, he goes onto his mother’s chest, he gets this special respiratory support on his mother’s chest, the cord is clamped later, and they come up here together, mom and baby, we don’t separate them with baby like we used to in the incubator.”

He added that the Immediate Kangaroo Mother Care gives the mother and baby the chance to bond.

Dr Stephenson highlighted that the knowledge they are using has been learnt in the 80’s in Gwanda at Manama Mission and most African countries have expressed interest in this.

“Although it started in Colombia, I think we can be fair to say that immediate kangaroo mother care started here in Zimbabwe. And we’re giving it to the world,” he said.

One of the mothers admitted in the Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital, Precious Chinembiri said she came to Hospital on 22 April and gave birth at 22 weeks her baby weighing 1000 grammes.

“Yesterday he weighed 1040 grams showing that he is improving and gaining. I’m happy that the Kangaroo mother care allows me to be with my child all the time monitoring him.

“If anything changed, I’m able to immediately call the nurses to check up on him than having him in the incubator away from me. I have seen so many changes since he was born. I’m told now he is now using natural air to breathe. I’m grateful for this.

The current infant mortality rate for Zimbabwe in 2023 was 34.096 deaths per 1000 live births, a 2.65% decline from 2022.