The National Council Committee on Health, Social Welfare, and Labour recommends the decentralisation of psychiatric treatment at state hospitals in the regions. 

The Council visited the state hospitals at Walvis Bay and Swakopmund.

The committee vice chairperson, Emma Muteka, said a recommendation was made to the Health Ministry to create and increase rooms for mentally ill patients.

"We are happy to report that when we visited Walvis Bay in 2023, we saw that the stronghold rooms were not in good condition, not a conducive environment for our colleagues to recover, but when we visited them yesterday, they were beautifully repaired. They have put proper mechanisms in place," she said, cautioning, "I think we still have a lot to do; we still have to consider creating more space and stronghold rooms, especially at the Swakopmund hospital."

A lack of adequate psychiatric facilities sometimes leads to the holding of mentally ill individuals in police cells.

Coastal police station commanders and magistrates acknowledged this situation to parliamentarians two years ago.

They highlighted the high demand for such facilities in the region and the long waiting times for admission to the Windhoek Psychiatric Ward. 

Earlier this year, the regional health director, Anna Jonas, said, Swakopmund is struggling to take care of mentally ill patients because there is only one isolation room.

The committee's visit is part of an oversight function, and the recommendation will be included in a report to be tabled in parliament.