By Royan Abrams
Mental Health in Guyana has become one of the most important programme on the agenda of the Ministry of Public Health and as such efforts are being made to improve the mental health services across the country. One of those being the training of several persons to become Psychiatric Patient Care Assistants; 35 of which will be attached to the National Pyshiatric Hospital in Region Six.
It is hopeful that with the additional staff members, the services offered at the institution will improve greatly according to the Director of Regional Health Service Jevaughn Stephens.
“We are hoping that the parliament will approve our budget in its entirety for 2017, once that is done a number of aspect of the day to day life at the Paychiatric Hospital will be improved immediately and at the moment they are 35 Paychiatric patient care assistance will soon and will add to the day to day operation of the facilty” he added.
It was noted too that men seem to be hiding when it comes to working in the field of mental health, specifically at the National Psychiatric hospital and therefore measures are being put in place to attract males toward a career in this area.
The director of the Regional Health Service also acknowledged that salary is one of contributing factors hindering men from working within this field. In this regard, he assured that there will be a “handsome” increase for nurses come 2017.
He said “the men is saying if I stay home a day job as a laborer, they would make more than what they might make working at the National Psychiatric Hospital so we understand that the salary is a problem.”
(Caption; National Psychiatric Hospital)
