Professionals, NGOs and mental health specialists have established a facility to tackle the rising cases of mental issues in the Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley.
The facility has been named Bungoma Health Link.
Kenn Duked, a specialist in mental health from the Global Action For Mental Health Foundation, on Friday said they decided to partner with other organisations to address issues of mental health.
Duked added that his organisation will support all programmes that will be run at BHL for sustainability.
“We have set up this centre in Bungoma to help in solving the mental issues that have become rampant in the society,” Duked said.
“This place has been designed in a way that mental health patients who visit the place are given the required psychological support they require."
Duked called on the national, county government and relevant agencies to partner with BHL to improve the services offered.
He also said they will partner with international universities and counsellors to help in solving mental health issues.
“We can’t sit back and watch as the community collapses due to mental health cases, Kenya is a young country and it needs to grow like other countries globally,” he said.
He said his organisation has direct links with the World Health Organization which offers them support.
Duncan Wandabwa, one of the founders told the Star that the idea to set up the facility was developed in 2019 with an aim to address the growing number of suicidal, depression and stress cases.
Wandabwa revealed that they had gone through the police reports that show the cause of many suicide cases in the police force were related to mental health issues.
“We are also working with the police to help in addressing murder cases amongst themselves,” Wandabwa said.
BHL chairman Phillip Wekesa said that the facility will offer an avenue for patients to relax as they receive counselling services.
The facility has a computer laboratory and a library that can be accessed by anybody.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)