Member of parliament Willem Amutenya has called on health training institutions to expand mental health training to support the new Mental Health Act.
Amutenya is a member of the parliamentary standing committee on education, youth, civic relations and community development.
He said this during a consultation with health training institutions in parliament on Friday.
Amutenya said most institutions that presented to the committee made little or no mention of programmes focused on mental health.
He said the new law places greater emphasis on integrating mental health services into primary healthcare and community-based care, making it important for institutions to train more mental healthcare professionals.
“We have passed the mental health bill in parliament, which demands much more on mental health integration at the primary care level and within communities,” he said.
Amutenya said Namibia has too few psychiatrists and community health workers to meet the country’s growing mental health needs.
He urged health training institutions, especially private institutions, to introduce programmes that will prepare professionals to support the implementation of the new law.
“That bill requires our health training institutions to look into training people in those areas.
“I think there is an opportunity for us to make sure the mental health bill gets the best professionals it deserves,” Amutenya said.
The National Assembly passed the mental health amendment bill in January after extensive debate.
The bill has since been referred to the National Council for consideration.
The proposed law will replace the Mental Health Act of 1973 with a new legal framework that strengthens mental healthcare services and protects the rights of people living with mental health conditions.
It aims to improve access to mental healthcare by expanding community-based services and integrating mental health into primary healthcare.
The bill also allows the Ministry of Health and Social Services to designate private institutions as mental health facilities, increasing the number of places where people can receive treatment.
It introduces tougher penalties for healthcare workers found guilty of sexually abusing, neglecting or mistreating patients.
Offenders could face fines of up to N$100 000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
The legislation also requires medical aid schemes to provide broader cover for mental health conditions and includes measures to improve care and rehabilitation for offenders and inmates with mental health conditions.
