Mbabane: The government seems mystified on what to do regarding the mentally ill of this country amidst the incumbent coronavirus pandemic which is sweeping across the nation with the rapidity of a furious hurricane.
At the time of publication records showed that there were 91 COVID-19 cases with 20 confirmed in a single day.
The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku told this publication that they haven’t as yet thought about how to gather the mentally challenged let alone accommodate them due limited space even at the country’s only mental institution. The DPM was responding to questions posed by this reporter on whether they are aware of the likelihood of the spread of the virus through the mentally challenged and if there was anything they were doing about it. Understandably so, some of the mentally ill are found loitering in the streets without observation of government’s regulation on preventing the spread of the virus. A lot of them, if not all, do not observe especially the hygienic part of the regulations which require that hands be washed every now and then. Some of them are homeless and in the evening seek refuge in secrete places like abandoned buildings, bridges and forests.
Masuku said handling this group of citizens would require collaborations with experts and other relevant authorities because for instance they escape from mental institutions. Eswatini has one mental institution in Manzini which strictly admits the seriously ill. Admission in the hospital depends on the severity of the illness and a number of patients have been turned back home after treatment.
“It would also be costly to deal with them in the sense that they’d have to be sedated every now and then to calm them down, or else they’d find a way to escape and go back to the streets, which would prove a losing battle to the authorities,” said Masuku as a matter of observation.
He said it would help for relatives to liaise with the police who would track them down and brought them home with strict advice to monitor them. It is easy to ignore the fact that such people can be conduits of the virus and they have to be rounded and put in one place, said the DPM. Masuku said it is worrying that some relatives can be at home and observing government’s regulations while their next of kin wander in the streets. “Let this not be just a matter of the DPM’s office but everyone especially those directly concerned like relatives,” said the DPM. Masuku said the mentally ill are just like the homeless, who wander in the streets which is dangerous during this period. Masuku said he’d appreciate recommendations from diverse sectors on how to handle such groups of people.
Angry
On another note the DPM said he is incensed by people who deliberately violate the government’s set regulations to prevent the spread of the virus, saying such people are not only exposing themselves but others to contracting the deadly virus. He said violators of the regulations are not different from terrorists who use bombs to kill large numbers of people while also putting their lives at risk. It pains him a lot that in the process of violating the COVID-19 regulations innocent souls are put to risk, said the DPM. He called for law enforcers to tighten operations and bring violators to book, sending a clear message to everyone on the seriousness of combating the disease.
‘I partied for two years’ – DPM
The DPM mentioned that it is impossible to adhere to the COVID-19 regulations while intoxicated. He said he knew from experience that following the rules while under the influence of alcohol is next to nothing. He himself imbibed in alcohol albeit for two years, from 18 years of age to 20 and all along he most often found himself on the wrong side of the law. Masuku said his two year experience as an imbiber was enough to get him to stop. “For reasons known to myself I stopped drinking after two years and I can safely say that drinking alcohol will inevitably interfere with the government’s regulation to observe social distancing,” said the DPM, adding that one cannot help but hug or kiss when under the influence of alcohol.
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