THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has completed the rehabilitation of Mlondolozi Prison for mental patients on the outskirts of Bulawayo to de-congest the facility and improve ventilation.
By NQOBANI NDLOVU
ICRC-Zimbabwe head of delegation, Thomas Merkelback, handed over the Mlondolozi rehabilitation project to the Zimbabwe Correctional Prison Services (ZPCS) on Thursday.
Merkelback told NewsDay the rehabilitation project was the biggest for the ICRC since it started a partnership with the ZPCS in 2009 to improve treatment and detention facilities at the country’s prisons, but did not state the exact cost of rehabilitation at Mlondolozi.
“The rehabilitation objective was to improve structural conditions of this special institution catering for paver 300 mental health patients to facilitate that ZPCS staff can provide better treatment, accompaniment of patients and prepare them for life outside prison.
“The vast works carried also contributed to improving living conditions of patients, the respect of their dignity and of the standards for suck kind of facility,” Merkelback told guests during the handover ceremony on Thursday.
NewsDay was told as much as 40 inmates were sharing a room before the rehabilitation project, exposing them to diseases, as there was also poor ventilation.
“Cells that were unusable to accommodate patients, due to leaking roofs, broken doors or other structural problems have been rehabilitated. Today, patients have cells that offer more adequate space, ventilation and natural light, with ablution facilities.
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´The increase of space allowed as well the separation of patients according to mental health status and the follow up they need,” Merkelback added.
ZPCS deputy Commissioner-General, Moses Chinobvu said the institution was battleing a myriad of challenges, before calling on individuals and the corporate sector for assistance.
“Allow me to reiterate the need for other stakeholders and the civic society to emulate ICRC’s great passion to assisting those in need. Our doors remain open to those who wish to partner us in areas that include the livelihoods of the inmates as we strive to attend to our constitutional mandate.
“We remain appreciative of ICRC’s exceptional support, and which support has gone a long way to ease some of our operational challenges, hence we rest assure that such passion of assisting those in need shall continue be cherished and celebrated,” Chinobvu said.
