The Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) is calling for the creation of health committees in institutions, where possible, in order to address mental health issues among employees.
On Thursday, October 10, 2024, Rwanda joined other countries around the world in celebrating World Mental Health Day.
This year, the day was given special attention to mental health in the workplace, with the theme: ‘It is time to prioritize Mental Health in the workplace’
During the event of celebrating this day in Rwanda, RBC announced that 32% of employees in organizations with more than 100 staff members have considered suicide due to mental health issues.
Additionally, 30% of those surveyed indicated that they had taken time off due to mental health problems, while 63% missed work but were afraid to tell their employers that their absence was due to mental health issues.
Some of the factors contributing to these mental health issues among employees include: low salary compared to the work they do, poor relationships among employees or between their employers, and long working hours.
In particular, the use of technology has increased both the workload and the time employees spend at work, but some employers do not take this into consideration.
This is why RBC is advocating for the establishment of health committees in workplaces, aimed at raising awareness and promoting a culture of collaboration in work environments.
The Director of the Psychiatric Care Unit, at RBC, Dr. Jean Damascène Iyamuremye, said, “There are legal provisions that many employers do not implement. Another thing we are asking is that, wherever possible, health committees should be established in workplaces, because there are cases where employees tell their employers ‘we are sick,’ and the employers respond, ‘wait and go to the hospital tomorrow.” Such situations negatively affect employees’ mental health.
This proposal is also supported by the National Public Service Commission(NPSC). The Executive Secretary of the commission, Angelina Muganza, said, “It would indeed be good for RBC and MIFOTRA [Ministry of Public Service and Labour] to collaborate in setting up health committees in workplaces, with a particular focus on mental health.”
