Mental Health Patients Face Dire Need in Rural Zambia
In the rural African village of Mfuwe in the nation of Zambia, hours away from a major hospital, Dr. Ian Cross is currently working as a medical volunteer at the Kakumbi Rural Health Center.
Today the small clinic is grappling with a crisis. While medical volunteers are equipped to provide basic mental health services, Dr. Cross reports that there have been no medications available through public assistance to treat villagers with severe mental illness for the past two years. He is currently treating about a dozen patients living with psychosis, and the necessary pharmaceuticals are very expensive.
In the absence of proper medication, Dr. Cross’s patients are becoming increasingly disturbed and disruptive. Recently, a patient with mental illness threw a rock at a car, causing a severe head wound to another person. Another patient tried to destroy his own hut, and even the psychiatric ward three hours away couldn’t supply him with medication. In another instance, a mother living with mental illness gave birth in a marketplace and abandoned her newborn baby there.
“Medication might not cure these patients, but it allows them to be cared for in the community and not alienated,” Dr. Cross said.
With an extensive career in medicine helping patients all over the world, Dr. Cross is well-versed in treating severe mental health disorders. He is also on his fourth tour in rural Zambia and has the experience necessary to monitor and support the patients there. But his patients still need access to proper medicine.
According to Dr. Cross, $70 can provide a year’s supply of medication for one person with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. A donation of $840 would cover the cost of the pharmaceuticals for 12 patients.
“Mental illness isn't as headline grabbing as malaria, tuberculosis or HIV, but it is life destroying,” he said.
On behalf of Dr. Cross and the patients in Mfuwe, Africa Hope Fund is asking for your generosity and support. Any donation will help patients at the Kakumbi Rural Health Center get the help they need to treat their illnesses and help them find stability in their lives.