Mobile hospitals for Neuro-Psychiatric Centre Kamenge (Burundi)

Since the month of July, the CNPK executes a project of decentralization of mental health care with mobile hospitals in the province of Rutana, situated in the south-east of Burundi.

In this way the CNPK sends every month a multi-disciplinary team composed of 1 medical doctor, 1 nurse, 2 psychologists, 1 social assistant, 1 bursar and a driver in order to prepare mobile clinics in the hospital of Rutana, Musongati and Gihofi.

The team works with the personnel of these hospitals in order to learn them the technique to help with the mental health care (approach “learning by doing”). Also 3 medical doctors of these hospitals have got a formation for taking care of psychiatric patients.

The most important realizations already made during three stops are: session of education for health, 411 neuropsychiatric consultations, 180 psychotherapies and 97 socio-therapies. The team has also made the local authorities (sanitary, administrative and the level of the Church) sensitive.

These authorities welcome all these activities and wish that CNPK continues to help till the moment that packet “mental health” is integrated in the other packets which exist already in these hospitals.

About CNPK

This centre for psychiatric care is situated in one of the suburbs of the Burundian capital. Besides the hospitalisations and consultations in the centre itself, the medical staff frequently visits the district hospitals outside Bujumbura. The “equipes mobiles” of the CNPK examine the new patients and prescribe a treatment. The patients who are already being treated, receive further follow-up.