Monday, February 23, 2015
African Union Mission in Somalia on Saturday handed over an assortment of essential items such as beds, mattresses, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, cupboards and medicine to the Community Mental Health Care Center (CMHCC) in Baidoa.
The items were handed over to the mental facility’s Healthcare Manager Adan Abdirahman mohamed by AMISOM’s CIMIC officer Col. Gabrehawari Fitwi.
Established in 2010, the centre with a capacity of 350 patients caters for the mentally ill from Bay, Bakool and Gedo with the capacity of 350 people. Currently, there are 29 mentally ill patients receiving treatment at the center while a similar number are receiving outpatient care.
The support by AMISOM to the health facility AMISOM is part of the quick impact project implementation plan the force is undertaking in the newly liberated areas in collaboration with partners to provide continuity of basic and social services.
The manager at the centre, Adan Abdirahman Mohamed, thanked AMISOM for the donation. “This is an important and beneficial contribution to the community especially the mentally ill people because we received many beds, mattresses, pillows and medicine that we believe we will be using for one year for both the inpatient and outpatient. We thank AMISOM for this. This is the first donation we received in two or three years. We expect more donations” he said.
AMISOM CIMIC Officer Col. Gabrehawari Fitwi reiterated AMISOM’s commitment to ensuring peace and stability as well as support to the community. He added, “this project is a quick impact project that is supported by AMISOM and UNSOA and bilateral cooperation of organizations. The aim of the quick impact project is to help the mentally ill persons especially in Baidoa which is run by voluntary Somali citizens. So as AMISOM, we delivered support in the form of beds, mattresses and medicine.”
The elders in Baidoa also thanked AMISOM for their generous donation. Elder Amiin Barawani said, “We thank you for the generous contribution to the mentally ill people. Whatever you did for us will not be easily forgotten. Our next generation will be speaking about this when the time comes. Thank you again.”