More psychiatrists needed in health system – Dr Anthony

…as mental health takes priority

With greater emphasis now being placed on addressing mental health issues and illnesses in the population, the need for more psychiatrists to better manage cases has been emphasised.
The Psychiatric Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital records a patient count of approximately 490 every month – of which an average of 40 are new patients. There is also an outreach programme in which doctors from the hospital would visit various regions.

At the outpatient clinic of the National Psychiatric Hospital in East Berbice, another 200 patients are seen every month.
Speaking on this issue on Thursday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony noted that there is need for more professionals in the field of psychiatry. He also hinted at offering scholarships to get persons on board.
“I think we currently have about 16 psychiatrists in the system, and we obviously need to get more people in psychiatry. Mental health has definitely (been) shown to be one of those areas where we’ll have to train more staff, get more doctors to be working in this area. It’s something that we’ll have to offer more scholarships for people to specialise in mental health,” Dr Anthony underscored.
At present, Government is collaborating with Columbia University to conduct three studies – causes and prevention of suicide; analysis of accident victims; and vulnerabilities of persons between the ages of 12 and 24.
“The findings of these we’ll be able to incorporate …into our programmes, so that we can strengthen and prevent people from committing suicide. Based on the findings, we’ll be able to design better programmes,” he explained.
Through UNICEF, a new curriculum is being developed to train nursing staff to provide specialised mental health care. Coupled with the new Mental Health Bill, the Minister shared, a more enabling environment is being created for practitioners and patients.
The Mental Health Protection and Promotion Bill 2022 was passed in the National Assembly on August 8 of this year. Enshrined in the law is a series of rights for mental health patients, including access to care. The Act provides for the mental health care of persons suffering from mental illness, and protects, promotes, and fulfils the rights of those persons during the delivery of mental health care. Additionally, it seeks to promote the mental health and well-being of persons in Guyana, and to ensure that all persons receive the best mental health care.
When the Bill was passed in August, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had labelled the legislation as a modern one that would positively impact the level of care of persons suffering from mental health issues. While the traditional method of addressing mental health patients was to institutionalise them, the Health Minister has posited that this way does not allow for them to be integrated into society. (G12)