The hospital for the mentally ill in Berbera has taken into its care 20 men and one woman with mental health problems who had been living in the streets.
It is part of a campaign running for two months to provide help for the growing numbers of people who have lost their livelihoods and been abandoned to street life.
Staff from the hospital escorted by police officers brought the patients from the streets to the centre.
Dr Omar Sayid said most of the patients were between 25 and 40 years old and from poor families. Many were victims of recent drought that wiped out their herds and left them destitute and hopeless.
“We first attend to their personal hygiene and cleanliness, and then we treat those who are sick and feed them with nutritious foods,” said Dr Omar.
The local business community in collaboration with the local administration have raised funds for the accommodation and care of the mentally ill persons.
