Speaking during the signing on Thursday, Chromo Group CEO Vincent Hongo said the MoU looks at how journalists can handle tough situations after news coverage.
“The stigma levels are very high in organisations because many people cannot speak up. Stigma begins with me and you. With this partnership, Journalists will learn how to speak up and seek help if need be," he said.
Speaking at Chiromo Hospital Facility in Lavington on Thursday, Hongo urged all journalists to spare some free time and talk about how they feel without feeling discriminated against or looked down upon after they cover events.
“Let's open up and talk about our mental health care needs. Your mental health comes first. Talking to your colleagues is something we should do. We can reverse suicide by just talking about our problems,” he said.
The World Health Organisation indicates that Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realise their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community
According to a 2021 report published by the Media Council of Kenya, 226 journalists out of 332 interviewed (68 per cent) reported having faced a mental health issue or know a colleague who had faced or is struggling with their mental health.
A Taskforce report submitted to the then president Uhuru Kenyatta, the Ministry of Health said mental and neurological disorders are common and widespread.
At least 25% of outpatients and 40% of inpatients in different health facilities had a mental illness, and an estimated prevalence of psychosis was stated as 1% of the general population.
“Mental health is of global concern and an emerging epidemic It’s a concern to every journalist. In 2020, media houses reached out to us saying they were witnessing things they had never witnessed before,” Hongo said.
Hongo said journalists kept complaining that they could witness trauma by covering bodies that were exhumed in Shakahola, Covid patients, and Kware Killings.
“ This partnership will enable Radio Africa Group to be able to bring their journalist to the facility where we have expertise,” he said.
Radio Africa’s Jemima Ngode applauded the initiative saying that it was long overdue.
“We are very happy to be here today and to have this partnership with the Chiromo Hospital Group. This is a journey that began in 2020,” she said.
Ngode said the signing of the partnership was a milestone that was aimed at ensuring the wellness of journalists in the newsroom.
She likened mental health to a story about a man who was going through depression and one day went to talk to a village chief.
“The wise old man listened intently and then handed the young man a small basket filled with potatoes and asked him to carry it around the village for a day, without letting a single potato fall out,” she says.
Ngode said the young man took the basket and began his task.
“As he walked through the village, he realised how challenging it was to keep all the potatoes in the basket. At the end of the day, he returned to the wise old man with the basket, expecting some profound lesson,” she said.
The old man asked him to look inside the basket and the young man noticed that all the potatoes were still there.
“How did you manage to keep them all in?' the old man asked. The young man replied, Whenever I dropped a potato, I noticed it immediately and made sure to pick it up and put it back in the basket,” Ngode said.
The Group Human Resource said just like the potatoes in the basket, worries and stresses may sometimes spill over, but it is important to acknowledge them.
“And you should also address them, and not let them weigh you down. Remember, it's how we handle these challenges that truly defines our mental wellness,” she said.
"As we gather here today to focus on building our capacity for mental wellness, let us remember this lesson - to acknowledge, address, and manage our stresses and worries with care and mindfulness. Let's embark on this journey together towards better mental well-being."
Ngode said the partnership will culminate in having policy regulations around mental health.
“We shall also have a committee of mental health champions within our newsrooms, mental wellbeing committee and training of our journalists,” she said.
The formation of these, she said, will be done in weeks.
To cope with these stressful factors in the newsrooms, many journalists have turned to negative mechanisms like alcohol with the Media Council of Kenya report saying 26 per cent of journalists are heavy drinkers.
The Kenya Health Act, 2017 and Health Information Policy 2014-2030 provide for a National Health Information System that is responsive to the needs of the population.