Let’s Invest - World Mental Health Day 2020
October 10th is marked annually as World Mental Health Day. It is aimed at creating awareness regarding mental health issues and also providing an opportunity to those working in the field to share their work and address obstacles faced by them in providing their services to mental health patients. The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day surrounds the topic; increasing investments in mental health.
In recent times, Maldives has seen significant strides in the mental health sector such as the launch of a Mental Health Centre in state-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), increase in private institutions providing mental health care facilities, increase in governmental and private organizations advocating for the matter, etc. Unfortunately, this is still insufficient to meet demands in the mental health sector, especially amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Whilst it is relatively easy to access mental health care facilities in Male’ City, there is little to none available in our geographically dispersed islands. We also experience a shortage of mental health care professionals, especially psychiatrists. Mental health care services provided by private institutions are mostly not covered under the Aasandha, the universal health insurance scheme of Maldives. Subsequently, government facilitated psychiatric facilities are forced to take on patients past their capacity, to provide health care for all in need as a large number of people do not have the financial means to receive care from private establishments. This alone highlights the urgency of increasing investments in mental health sector of the Country. With increased reports of psychological distress owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is anticipated that necessity for mental health services will increase in the coming months, making such investments even more crucial at this time.
On occasion of the day, authorities are set to host a webinar tonight addressing the same theme. It will be attended by First Lady Fazna Ahmed, experts and health care professionals from Maldivian Red Crescent, IGMH, Health Protection Agency, President’s Office and NGOs, via Zoom, which will be livestreamed on Facebook. Interested persons can also register to participate in the Zoom meeting here.
Additionally, tonight, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will be taking part in a virtual event hosted by World Health Organization (WHO), “Big Event for Mental Health”. The three-hour long event will be telecasted on all social media platforms with spotlight on international chronic under investment in mental health which will be attended by mental health care experts and celebrity guests.