Another World Mental Health Day is being celebrated today, but Malta is still awaiting a new law.

We have been told, over and over again, that the 1976 Mental Health Act has become obsolete and that the country needs new legislation in this delicate sector, and yet so far this has not materialized.

The first reading of a law on mental health has been submitted to Parliament, but this is only a preliminary event. The more important process starts when the matter is debated in the House during the second reading before moving to committee stage, when parliamentarians enter into the nitty-gritty of each clause before the bill is then put for approval in the third reading.

It is clear that the process is taking much longer to come to the surface. The Malta Independent on Sunday yesterday reported that some amendments of the bill as initially presented are still being discussed with the Attorney General, and then the matter would still have to go before the Cabinet.

Mental health has been given priority by successive governments. One in every four persons has or will, at one point in life, suffer from some sort of mental condition.

Over the years, the stigma surrounding people suffering from a mental condition has thankfully subsided, although it has not been totally eliminated. But now we must take the matter further by bringing in a new legislation that is more suitable for today’s needs and circumstances.

The 1976 law is described as being “ancient” each and every year, and yet things are moving at a snail’s pace.

The vision of the new law is to place the patient at the centre of a holistic and comprehensive programme of care and protection, whereas the current law lays more emphasis on the professional side of treatment. We must move in the direction indicated, as has been done in other spheres where health matters are concerned.

We have been told that all efforts are being made for the new law to be in place in 2012. We do hope that, when the world celebrates World Mental Health Day in a year’s time, we will be able to say that the lawmakers have kept their promise this time.