Mental health care and services in our country are facing serious difficulties, to the detriment of patients and their families, the Nationalist Party said Friday.
The absence of an Acute Psychiatric Unit at Mater Dei Hospital is leaving patients with acute mental health conditions without adequate care of the appropriate standard. This situation has persisted for several years, dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the ward previously used for this purpose was repurposed to meet the needs arising from the pandemic.
However, far too much time has now passed, and patients cannot continue waiting for this type of appropriate and specialised care, the PN said.
Those who require this type of care and cannot afford to seek treatment privately are having to wait months for a Psychiatric Outpatients appointment or consultation. This is also reflected in appointments relating to conditions affecting adolescents and children with behavioural difficulties, such as ADHD/ADD. The result is unacceptably long waiting lists.
Just a few days ago, the findings of an investigation carried out by the Office of the Commissioner for Children into the quality of care provided to young people and adolescents experiencing mental health difficulties at the Young People's Unit at Mount Carmel Hospital were made public. The experts who conducted the inquiry identified shortcomings and gaps within the system.
It is widely recognised that Mount Carmel Hospital is no longer adequate for the provision of modern mental health care and services. It is a hospital that is certainly not fit for patients, their families and relatives, or for the professionals working in this sector, who continue to work with dedication and professionalism to provide these vulnerable patients with the care and attention they need despite the circumstances.
In healthcare, and particularly in an area as sensitive as mental health, the environment in which care is provided must genuinely reflect the needs of patients. Malta needs a modern hospital for mental health care, offering an appropriate environment that complements the services and treatment provided to people with mental health conditions, the PN said.
The PN said it believes that mental health must be approached with dignity and calls for our country to have a clear vision aimed at providing the best possible care and raising standards of treatment in this sensitive field so that they are comparable with the standards provided in physical healthcare.
The statement was signed by Stephen Spiteri, Shadow Minister for Health.