Botswana - Obtain Mental Health and Rehabilitation Service

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Procedure

Apply In Person

1. The Ministry of Health & Awareness (MoH), Department of Public Health office with the aid of public and private registered hospitals and clinics offers services such as Primary Health Care Services that include Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services. MoH Contact & Map Details
2. For persons with mental illness, most of their treatment will be outside the hospital. Doctors call this treatment in the community. But you may need to go to the hospital if you become unwell.
3. If you are unwell and agree to be admitted to a hospital, such persons are known as voluntary patients. This means that you can leave if you want to. If you would like to be admitted as a voluntary patient, you can try the following.
   • Speak to someone in your community mental health team (CMHT), if you have one. You may have a care coordinator you can speak to.
   • Contact your local crisis team. You can search for their contact details online. But in some areas, you can only be referred to the crisis team by your GP.
   • Contact your GP. There may also be an out-of-hours service.
   • Go to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of a local hospital.
4. You might have to go into hospital when you don't want to. Doctors call this being detained under the Mental Health Act. If this happens, you will not be able to leave unless the hospital doctor agrees.
5. Admission to a public psychiatric unit is usually through the emergency department or the hospital’s community mental health team. However, you might not be able to be admitted into a public psychiatric unit even if you want to. It will depend on the number of beds available. And if the doctors think you need to be there. If there are not enough free beds in your local hospital, staff could send you to a different hospital.
6. For a private hospital, you need your GP (family doctor) or a psychiatrist to arrange admission for you.
7. Doctors will speak to you at ward rounds or meetings, so they can decide what treatment you need and whether you need to stay in hospital. You might get medication, talking therapy, and occupational therapy.
8. The length of time you’ll be in hospital really depends on why you’re there, the treatments you need, and how you’re responding.
9. The discharge process is initiated by the admitting doctor. At this point, relatives can clear with the admission section who issues clients with a discharge slip.

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Required Documents

• Birth certificate.
• National Identity card (Omang) for citizens.
• Passport for non-citizens.

Office Locations & Contacts

Ministry of Health & Wellness (MoH)
Physical Address:Ministry of Health & Wellness
Plot 54609
24 Amos Street
Government EnclaveGaborone
Postal Address:Ministry of Health & WellnessHeadquarters
Private Bag 0038
Gaborone
Toll-Free Customer: 0800600740
Inquiries: 3632500/3170585
Emergency Services: 997
Email Address: [email protected]
MoH Contact & Map Details
MoH Website
Ministry Business hours: Monday-Friday from 8:00 am-1:00 pm and 2:00 pm -5:00 pm, closed during Public Holidays.

NOTE: Hours of Operation: Public Clinics operate weekdays from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm with a nurse on call available after hours, weekends and holidays. Some public clinics operate 24 hours.

Eligibility

• Citizens and non-citizens of all ages are eligible to obtain these services.

Fees

• General consultation for locals in government/public clinics is 5 Pula. Children under five years of age and elders above 65 years do not pay consultation fees.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

• These services are rendered immediately.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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Instructions

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

• Full names of the applicant
• Age/Gender
• Reason for the visit to the center
• Residential address
• Contact details

Need for the Document

• The Ministry of Health and awareness included the mental health & rehabilitation program into the existing general health services. The aim of the policy is to provide access to services, to enable every individual to have the benefit of good mental health and thus allow them to make an optimal contribution to personal, community, and national development.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

MoH Website
MoH The Essential Health Service Package for Botswana

Others

More information which might help people.