Families whose relatives are admitted at Mathari Mental Hospital in Gilgil sub-county have been called upon to make visits to help improve their condition.
According to the doctor in-charge at the facility Dr. Catherine Githinji, over 30 patients who have been admitted at the facility have not been visited by their families in a very long time.
When contacted on phone Wednesday, she said that out of the 30 patients, 20 of them were taken to the hospital by police officers but nobody has ever visited them.
“It is important for their family members to come over and at least visit them because we have about 90 patients and 30 of them have never been visited in a very long time…it is better to visit them when they are alive than to come and take away their bodies to bury them when they are dead,” she said.
Dr. Gitau added that even though families of such people do not have money to clear hospital bill, it is important for the patient to feel the family bond and it can only happen if he is visited.
“Some have been abandoned for even 10 years and my appeal is even if you do ot have the money to clear hospital bill, come and visit them because it makes them feel good but when nobody visits them, treatment becomes hard since they feel stigmatized,” she said.
Caption: Families who kin are admitted at Mathari Mental hospital in Gilgil have been called upon to visit them regularly and not abandon them as it has been the case over the years. Doctors say such visits help in their quick recovery.