Reg 6 addressing challenges at psychiatric hospital
DPI, GUYANA, Tuesday, October 3, 2017
A team from the Ministry of Public Health will soon travel to Belize to study their mental health programme with the aim of improving the local services offered at the National Psychiatric Hospital.
Region Six, Focal Point Coordinator to the Ministry of Public Health, Alex Foster.
In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Regional Focal Point Coordinator to the Ministry of Public Health, Alex Foster, said a nine-member team will soon be departing for Belize.
“We are going to study their response to mental health and drug abuse. It is recorded internationally that Belize has developed a community programme that responds directly to the needs. We are therefore going to see what we can learn from the Belizean government and we return back here in Guyana to see how we can incorporate those,” Foster explained.
Persons who are struggling with drug addictions are often dropped off at the National Psychiatric Hospital, Foster noted. Currently, the hospital is working with stakeholders to ensure that these patients are provided the necessary care and treatment.
“What we are doing is working in collaboration with all stakeholders in the region who are providing services such as the NGOs and other government agencies,” he said.
The institution has also been building its staffing capacity. “We are also trying to upgrade our staff due to the intervention of the Cuban brigades that work in our country…they are also seeking support through collaborations,” Foster explained.
The National Psychiatric Hospital has also hired a dietitian to address the varied nutritional needs of the influx of patients at the institution. “I am happy to say that the doctors, the patients are now making comments in the positive arena that our food that we are offering to them on a daily basis has greatly improved due to the presence of the dietitian,” Foster said.
There is also ongoing maintenance works at the institution to ensure its physical structure is maintained as the hospital works to provide the best service despite its challenges, Foster said.
By: Tiffny Rhodius