Abu Dhabi: Salam Abu Shehab
The report of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council on the subject of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection’s policy on promoting mental health, which the Council is discussing at its 9 p.m. session on Tuesday at the Council’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, monitored the shortage of specialized cadres in the fields of mental health and their inadequacy for the increasing number of mental patients, and the disparity Distribution of mental health services at the level of health facilities in the country, which led to some patients not benefiting from psychological treatment services, and increasing pressure on mental health units in other hospitals.
Among the observations and conclusions reached by the committee, Naama Al-Sharhan, the Second Vice-President of the Federal National Council and Chairperson of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee in the Council, said that it is difficult to diagnose children’s mental disorders, due to the lack of psychiatric clinics designated for them, and the lack of coverage by most health insurance companies for treatment services. psychological diseases; This led to patients and their families bearing the high cost, in addition to some stopping to complete treatment, and the lack of programs for psychosocial care and rehabilitation for psychiatric patients, following up on their condition during and following treatment, and the absence of programs related to community mental health services such as: preventive awareness programs, care and home support services, and rehabilitation. Community rehabilitation following the stage of psychotherapy.
She explained that the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee discussed the policy of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection in the matter of promoting mental health in the United Arab Emirates within three main axes: The first axis: the Ministry’s policy and strategic plans in developing policies and legislation in mental health, and the second axis: The Ministry’s role in Strengthening and expanding the scope of comprehensive and integrated mental health services, promoting the prevention of mental disorders for members of the community, and the third axis: the Ministry’s role in cooperating with the concerned authorities to implement the mental health promotion policy and the services provided.
She indicated that the committee met (13) meetings to study the subject, where the committee met with representatives of the governmental and local health sectors to learn regarding the services provided in the field of mental health and the challenges they face in this regard, and the mechanisms for coordination and cooperation with the health authorities concerned with providing mental health services, and also held The committee has a virtual seminar entitled (Promoting mental health in the country) with the aim of identifying the most important challenges in the field of mental health promotion, whether at the level of services for mental patients or mental health workers, in addition to identifying the extent of community awareness of these services. 6 field visits, including (5) field visits to government hospitals, to learn regarding the level of services provided in the field of mental health and the level of health care provided to patients in terms of treatment and rehabilitation.