psychiatrist from England. Its mission is to provide, administer, coordinate, promote, and advocate for the provision of quality mental health services and care in Zimbabwe. Situated over ten (10) hectares of land and including a farm, the hospital offers outpatient psychiatry and counselling services and in-patient services to psychiatry patients at various levels. Currently the institution has 14 wards of admission for mental patients of all age groups1. Ingutsheni Central Hospital is run by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and receives budgetary support from the Government through Treasury and the parent Ministry of Health and Child Care. Ingutsheni receives support and donations in the form of food, old clothes and bedding from business people and the hospitality industry in Bulawayo. Such donations to the hospital are accounted for to the parent Ministry of Health and Child Care. 6. General Observations and Findings 6.1 Staffing Levels, Training and Patient Population It is imperative that an institution that houses mentally disordered persons be adequately staffed with experienced staff who would be able treat patients in a humane manner in accordance with international human rights standards listed above. The hospital has critical shortage of psychiatrists. During the time of the visit the ZHRC was advised that there were only six (6) psychiatrists instead of twenty-four (24). Mental patients are in constant need of assessment so that improvement or otherwise is noted and acted upon immediately. Proper healthcare cannot be met without proper psychiatric care. As of 25 June 2015, Ingutsheni Central Hospital had staffing level of 661 2. This number falls short of the ideally 750 members of staff needed to run the institution. The shortage of staff means that the patient nurse/patient ratio has been strained. The stated ideal nurse/patient ratios in accordance with international standards were given as follows: 1 2 Two of these wards were turned into a classroom and a dormitory for students. Members including management and support staff who do not deal directly with patients. Page 10 of 22