Members of the National Assembly have welcomed and supported the Mental Health Bill introduced by the Ministry of Health and Social Services while offering suggestions to strengthen its provisions.

Winnie Moongo, Member of Parliament for the Popular Democratic Movement, highlighted the need for better integration of mental health services within primary healthcare. She noted that most Namibians first interact with nurses, community health workers, or clinics, not specialists such as psychiatrists or psychologists. Moongo proposed that the ministry develop a framework to ensure every primary healthcare facility includes basic mental health training, counselling, and referral services.

Swapo Party MP Willem Amutenya urged private hospitals to prioritise mental health services by establishing dedicated wards and support facilities. He said this would reduce overcrowding in public institutions, improve response capacity, and ensure timely, dignified, and quality care for individuals in need.

Fellow Swapo Party MP Sharonice Busch emphasised that the Bill mandates health facilities to offer primary, secondary, tertiary, and community-based mental healthcare while promoting community integration. She called for this approach to become a national rollout plan, involving trained staff, district teams, licensed community day centres, and mobile outreach units for remote areas.

In his contribution, Swapo Party MP Modestus Amutse raised concerns about discrimination against individuals with existing mental conditions in employment. He noted that certain responsibilities require stress tolerance, sound judgement, and high focus, which may influence task allocation. Using the example of a medical doctor performing surgery, Amutse said the implications of assigning such duties to someone with a mental condition should be carefully considered.