Ministry moves to implement mental health plan

Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said yesterday that mental health is occupying its “priority space” on the national health agenda as efforts to implement an ambitious strategic mental health plan intensify.

With a renewed focus on integrating mental health into the primary health care system, Ramsammy said current objective is on capacity building, and strengthening the delivery of services.

He pointed to deepened collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisa-tion (PAHO), the IDB and Dalhousie University, USA to enhance the delivery of mental health services as, “the most determined effort” to date in terms of the work being undertaken in mental health services.

Ramsammy identified substance abuse and suicide as growing areas of concern in the sector. He said too that suicide remains a critical area in the mental health plan given the young victims that are emerging.

He emphasized that while the focus is on treatment and prevention in the areas of substance abuse and suicide, the focus is also on policies and the legislation to address mental health. He said that work is ongoing on the new policies.
Further, he said that the effort being made in mental health currently is commendable given the “commitment and collaboration”. Ramsammy stated also that work will continue as the ministry seeks to implement its mental health strategic plan.

This strategic plan will see capacity building in the various communities to provide assistance for those who need it. Ramsammy briefly spoke on this saying that it is critical that work begin at the grassroots level.

PAHO/WHO country representative Dr Kathleen Israel underscored that legislation is critical to the local mental health programme as focus shifts to capacity building. She called for a multi-sectoral approach to the issue of mental health, stressing that the ministry can only meet its objectives if the other key sectors in the society play a role.

Israel also identified suicide as a huge problem here, but noted that mental disorders are treatable and preventable. She said that the ministry’s approach is commendable as it seeks to integrate mental health into the primary health care. According to her, care should be de-crentralised at the community level.