Mentally challenged people in Nyeri County have called on the Ministry of Education to establish a psychiatric department in learning institutions.
They say the department will help in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. Such conditions, they say have led to some students being expelled a situation that would have been prevented if it was detected early enough.
Speaking during World Mental Health Day at Dedan Kimathi Grounds in Nyeri, Andrew Kimondo, 30, who suffers from bipolar disorder said that he was expelled in the university after he smashed the university bus windows, an incident he said came about due to the condition.
Unfortunately, the school administration did not know about his condition, he said but was later recalled after 10 months following an intervention by the Egerton University Senate and some members of the staff. “If the institution had a psychiatrist, I could not have been expelled,” he said.
Hellen Wangui who works with mental patients in Nyeri County said that there is dire need to set up a psychiatric department in schools noting that young people with mental problems are classified as criminals due to lack of knowledge. She pointed out that cases of young people with mental illness are on the rise and parents, schools and the community should be very keen to ensure they are treated before they deteriorate.
This article was written by John Gathua, and first published on the Capital News site.
