The St Giles Hospital has the capacity to take care of substance abuse patients, says Minister for Health Dr Atonio Lalabalavu.
While responding to Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya’s question in Parliament on whether the hospital was sufficiently equipped to take care of the substance abuse patients, Dr Lalabalavu said they currently could deal with it.
“When asked the same question to our technical people at St Giles, the answer I got was yes,” he said.
“In terms of the capacity, yes, and they are currently doing it right now.
“Again, it is something that the ministry with our development partners is looking into, but in terms of your question, the capacity right now as it is, yes, to look after it in the acute phase and treat them accordingly.
“And also, it’s available in our other hospitals, in CWM and for areas in which other NGOs assist us in this space, which receive grants through the Ministry of Health for some of their operational work, they are also helping us in this area.
“In a nutshell yes, we have the capacity to deal with it now, but it is the long-term aspect of the treatment that is where they still get.”
He said the ministry was approaching partner and donor organisation for the possibility of assisting towards the establishment of a new facility that will allow the hospital to venture into the latest treatment modalities, elevating mental health services in the country.
“A new facility will allow the hospital to branch out into the fields of addiction, psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and old age psychiatry and to deliver speciality services such as group therapy, psychodrama, lithium level testing, recurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as it is commonly known, and geropsychiatry.”
Dr Lalabalavu said the Government was committed to addressing mental health in the country and improving the mental health services to our people.
