THE Labasa Hospital currently has no resident mental health specialist.
This concern was raised by the Macuata sub-divisional medical officer Dr Amoo Bolaji during a workshop on non-communicable diseases at the Friendly North Inn.
“Since the last specialist left a few years ago, there has been no dedicated mental health specialist in the North,” he said.
Dr Bolaji said mental health was just as important as any other non-communicable disease.
“You cannot talk about hypertension, diabetes or any chronic illness without talking about mental health.
“Stress affects how people eat, how they take their medication and how they live their lives.”
While some support services exists, such as non-governmental organisations, he said they were underutilised.
“People are reluctant to come forward. There is still stigma attached to seeking help
“Fiji is a small place, and people worry about privacy, even though these services are confidential.”
He said many individuals failed to recognise the impact of daily stress on their health.
“People go through work pressures, family responsibilities and financial strain every day, but they don’t take time to address it ”
Instead, some turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
“They may rely on alcohol, kava or simply withdraw, thinking they are managing, but it often makes things worse.”
