The Ministry of Health has taken a major step towards addressing the serious mental health problem in Guyana by training health workers countrywide to deal with persons who may experience mental problems owing to substance abuse.
According to National Mental Health Coordinator, Dr Bhiro Harry, those who are being trained, including nurses, doctors and other health workers from Regions One, Two, Four, Six and Ten, will return to their areas and set up units in and outside hospitals to deal with substance abuse issues.
Importantly the crippling effect of alcohol abuse in Guyana was recognised at the opening of the five-day workshop, titled ‘Concurrent Disorders/Substance Abuse training’, yesterday at the Regency Hotel. The workshop is the first step towards implementing the ministry’s 18-point mental health strategic plan.
According to Dr Harry, the number of mental health cases seen by the Georgetown Public Hospital had significantly increased from 1984 to now, but he could not give a figure. Asked to name the substances most abused by persons seen at the hospital, Harry said that at the outpatient unit it was alcohol, marijuana and cocaine in that order, while at in-patent level it was marijuana and cocaine.
He said after the training the hospital would have a specialised clinic to deal specifically with the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of substance abusers. He pointed out though that it was not always the abuser who visited the hospital but rather his/her relatives who sought help.
Dr Sonia Chehil, National Mental Health Advisor, said that like in other countries, the treatment and rehabilitation of substance abusers was seriously lacking in Guyana.
Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy mentioned this point in his address, stating that while Guyana has made tremendous progress in other areas in the health sector, progress in mental health lagged behind. “We have only made slow progress,” the minister said, adding that it was unacceptable even though in the last two years progress has accelerated.
Dr Ramsammy said there was need to recognise that substance abuse was an important part of the mental health approach, adding that one of the purposes of the workshop was to enlighten participants about substance abuse.
He noted that substance abuse might not always entail illegal drugs but also prescription drugs and more importantly two of the most abused legal substances, tobacco and alcohol.
Alcohol abuse
The minister said the abuse of alcohol remains a serious problem in Guyana while noting that the World Health Organisation (WHO) at its last meeting took steps to address alcohol. And in a warning to his employees, the minister said all public health employees who are smokers must prove that they are taking the necessary actions to stop smoking and if not they would have to seriously consider their future. “I say this very seriously, we cannot tell people to stop smoking and light up,” the minister said.
He added that too many of the country’s citizens have wasted their lives because of alcohol and other harmful substances.
As others have noted previously, the minister pointed out that much of country’s domestic and other violence, road accidents and infection of diseases such as HIV, have a direct relation to substance abuse. The minister called for resoluteness in addressing substance abuse stating that it was not enough to just recognise the problem and leave it at that since to do that was immoral and an injustice.
The ministry is in the process of developing a structured quality programme to deal with substance abuse that will benefit those who need help.
Chehil said the strategic plan that they are in the process of implementing will see capacity building in the various communities to provide assistance for those who need it. She said that the current workshop is one of many that will be held.
