The first ever mental health clinic has been opened in Magarini, Kilifi county, to ease access for patients at the grassroots.

The model mental health clinic was set up at Gongoni in Magarini through a partnership involving the county government of Kilifi, Basic Needs NGO and CBM through funding from Irish Aid.

Speaking during the launch of the centre Allan Obinga, the chairman of Basic Needs Organisation that deals with mental health services, said it was part of a community health issue called inclusive community health project.

He said the goal of the project is to increase access to rights and participation of mentally ill persons.

“As part of community based service we do recognise that facility-based services are also important and the number of mental health facilities in the counties is limited, so this particular project is to support the county of Kilifi,” he said.

He said they spent Sh. 1.3 million to build the facility, adding that they are going to launch another facility in Ganze.

The chairman said they were happy to partner with the county of Kilifi to make the project a success.

He said they recognise that Kilifi is vast and some areas are marginalised as the distance for one to access mental health facilities is more than 25km.

“So with this particular project, we are bringing services much closer to the residents of this particular area," he said.

Anita Changawa, a recovered mental illness community champion, said she suffered for many years from epilepsy.

She has now begun a programme to sensitise other community members that despite having epilepsy or any other mental health condition one can still live a normal life.

“I used to spend a lot of money seeking services in Malindi, Kilifi and Mombasa to get medication but now I thank the organisation for bringing the services here to the grassroots, the way I suffered others will not go through such challenges,” he said.

Hassan Lili, a health official in Kilifi, said they have more than 7,000 patients who are on record though they believe the number is bigger than that.

He said they have no reporting tools to give them accurate data, but with such new projects of mental clinics at the grassroots will enable them to reach out to more people.

“As we launch these facilities we shall also be bringing medical officers with the expertise," he said.