The services of Mental Health started in early of 20th century at Kilimani Prison which was known as “The Prison Asylum at Kilimani” in 1915 – 1949. The services of that time were not intended to deliver the curative but were only to control the patients and isolate them not to cause trouble to the society.
The process of building Kidongo Chekundu Mental Hospital was started in the year 1946 and completed in 1948. In May 1949, all the mental ill patients were shifted from Prison Asylum at Kilimani to the Holm wood Hospital (as it was known that before the Revolution of 1964). The treatment of that time was the same as the treatments delivered to prisoners.
The Government of Zanzibar, being extremely concerned about the state of mental health in the country in 1999, approved the mental health Act and mental health plan.
The management of Kidongo Chekundu Mental Hospital has passed through three different departments that include MOH Department of Curative Services, MOH Department of Prevention and Health Education Department and the Department of Mnazi Mmoja Hospital.
Currently Kidongo Chekundu Mental Hospital is continue to be under the Mnazi Mmoja referral Hospital.
Kidongo Chekundu provides different therapies from different specialities of which are Biological therapy which is dealt by Psychiatrists and other mental health PR actioners, Psychological therapy by Clinical Psychologist and Social therapy by Social worker and occupational therapists.
Currently, a new 100 beds psychiatry hospital is being built and intended to be operational by the middle of the year 2021.
