Dear Editor,
Mental Health is getting deserved attention in Guyana and I know this is taking a lot of effort from the Ministry of Health. In fact, a mere cursory reading will show that there are great challenges in dealing with mental health issues, namely, associated stigma, access to resources, lack of knowledge, inertia, unhelpful coping mechanisms, stereo-typing, and even lack of empathy. The bottom-line for me, and I guess the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government, is that mental illnesses and patients must be handled with dignity. Editor, I note that the Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, echoed that which is very vital, stating that “Our job is not to keep people institutionalised” He detailed that “… patients should not be institutionalised for a long period of time, but rather, be treated and discharged.” And why not? In this day, it is well established that with early and consistent treatment, people with serious mental illnesses can manage their conditions, overcome challenges, and lead meaningful, productive lives.
Mental illnesses are disorders that affect a person’s thinking, mood, and/or behaviour, and they can range from mild to severe. This clearly shows that those, or most, with mental issues, can still live, and should be allowed a place of normalcy in the society, whether at work, school or home. For those of us following this particular stand from the Ministry of Health, we know that the minister, on the occasion of a Guyana Police Force symposium, was speaking on mental health as a public safety issue, held under the theme, “Improving Police Performance Through Stakeholder’s Approach.” He reminded the audience that mental health legislation has been upgraded to adopt modern mental health practices. According to him, “How we practice psychiatry now is much different from the way we did years ago. Today, our job is not to keep people institutionalised; the idea is to treat and return patients to their homes.” The reason, as I mentioned before is that “… modern psychology sees acute episodes in patients, which when treated, caused stabilisation, resulting in a timely return of patients to their families (and places of study and work).
I do appreciate that our leaders are ‘keeping up’ with best practices in this key area of medicare. The trend now in Guyana is that “We are no longer keeping patients for an extensive time in our institution. The practice of psychiatry is changing, and these are the international norms we are embracing and adopting in Guyana.” For those who may be skeptics, the reality is that it is quite possible to recover from mental health problems, and many people do after accessing support. For sure, symptoms may return from time to time, but when discovered, there are techniques and treatments fully tested and available. Let me join the minister in imploring the public that training programmes are available through the World Health Organisation (WHO) to better improve mental health practices. And where the Ministry of Health is concerned, there are some 16 psychiatrists, and a post-graduate programme, providing training to psychiatrists as they respond to the needs of patients. Of course, the whole thing is an ever-progressing outlook, and I am very optimistic that panic, stereo-typing and stigmatising mental health issues, and those affected by them, will recede in the near future.
Sincerely,
HB Singh
