Malta has made great strides in the field of mental health and reducing the stigma that is associated with people that have anything from a severe disability, to those with milder conditions such as bi-polar and depression.

But there is still more to be done. Perhaps one of the most notable awareness raiser was MP Mario Galea, who was parliamentary secretary for the elderly in the last administration. He was diagnosed with depression and subsequently spoke candidly about the condition and told people, publicly, of what he went through.

It takes a tough person to share such experiences and it did raise awareness and showed people that such things can happen to any of us. Yesterday was World Mental Health Day and the Government launched a new Mental Health Act to coincide with it. The Government also announced that a new Mental Health Hospital will be build near Mater Dei, to replace the Mount Carmel Hospital.

The new mental health act, which was approved by Parliament last year, will be implemented through a two-year strategy. This process will start immediately and some aspects of the strategy will be included in next year’s budget.  The strategy will include the extension of community mental services to other localities, the refurbishment of existent centres, the introduction of better practices and a new management structure.

Another problem that Mount Carmel is facing is the fact that out of 600 beds only 400 are allocated for mental health patients. And only 101 of these beds are actually being used by people who need mental care. The rest are being used by elderly persons who have more need of a doctor than a psychiatrist.

The hospital management was sorting has also reacted to claims of abuse within the hospital by segregating adolescents from adults. The new mental health hospital would also have the necessary space for patient segregation, to avoid such incidents.

The rights of users and carers are listed and defined in the third section of the Act. Patients and their carers have the right to full respect of their dignity, the right to privacy and the right to receive quality treatment. The new law gives the right to the person to receive treatment of the same quality and standards as other individuals and to have their needs addressed holistically through a multidisciplinary care plan approach. The right to receive timely information in an understandable form and manner together with the right to participate actively in treatment are two new rights driven by the new legislation. Another three important rights are the right to have access to clinical records; the right to communicate with the outside world and the right to receive visitors. Last but not least is the right to have a responsible carer of their choice.

Our system is not perfect. But things are improving. Only a couple of decades ago, people with mental health issues were proverbially locked away. Now, they make up part of our active society. They enjoy days out, they work, they have relationships. Having a mental health issue or a disability does not mean that people should be pushed aside or shunned.