BULAWAYO City Council has resolved to lease its Lobengula Clinic into a drug rehabilitation centre to be run by central government.
The council said it will lease the 6 600-square meter Lobengula Clinic to the government for an initial period of 10 years, subject to review while receiving monthly rentals
“Council has approved for the central government to lease Lobengula Clinic for the establishment of a drug rehabilitation centre as Bulawayo responds to the drugs and su.bstance abuse menace which requires specialised treatment for those who are affected,’’ council said.
According to the terms of the lease, the central government will pay water and electricity bills for the facility and related charges subject to the Section 152 (2) of Urban Councils Act.
Bulawayo and the country at large is experiencing drug-related challenges which have seen Ingutsheni Central Hospital, a psychiatric hospital being overwhelmed with admissions of drug users who require rehabilitation.
Council's health services director Edwin Mzingwane that the proposed drug rehabilitation centre would be of great necessity as it complies with the Cabinet directive for local authorities to establish such facilities.
“Currently, Bulawayo faces a significant gap in dedicated infrastructure for drug rehabilitation. The primary facility handling such cases is Ingutsheni Central Hospital, which is a psychiatric institution .This is not ideal for rehabilitation, as its core mandate is mental health care,’’ he said.
“Ingutsheni Central Hospital has been overwhelmed by substance abuse admissions, necessitating the conversion of sections of the hospital for this purpose and a push to establish dedicated facilities to allow the hospital to refocus on its primary function."
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He stated that the provincial committee on drugs and substance abuse had recommended the establishment of two rehabilitation centres at Ingutsheni Central Hospital and another in Lobengula.
“This makes the allocation of Lobengula Clinic a timely and strategic move that directly supports the provincial strategy. Repurposing Lobengula Clinic for this purpose would provide a purpose-built, standalone facility that can offer comprehensive services including counselling, psychosocial support, medical assessments and structured recovery programmes,’’ Mzingwane said.
