DOHA: Improving Qatar's mental healthcare services design, new members were appointed to the National Mental Health Committee, according to a ministerial decision. The committee oversees the implementation of an integrated local approach to mental healthcare.
Minister of Public Health and Secretary General of Supreme Council of Health (SCH), H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani, issued a ministerial decision appointing new members to the committee. They are: Dr Abdullah Mohamed Al Kaabi, the Consultant and Director the children hospital project; Terence Charky, the Executive Director of the Mental Health Programme at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Dr Mamoun Mohammed Obaid, representative of the Ministry of Interior; Dr Kholoud Atiq Al Mutawa, representative of the Department of Public Health, SCH; Talal Al Emadi, lecturer at Qatar University; and Sherlyn Osun from HMC. Qatar aims to develop and implement comprehensive mental health services with emphasis on community-based care, and to increase public awareness and de-stigmatise perceptions of mental health. Its key targets are to ensure that the number of psychiatric beds is at least 12.5 per 100,000 people and that the approved model of care is implemented by 2016, according to National Health Strategy.
The metal health plan aims reduce the incidence, prevalence and severity of mental illness in Qatar apart from reducing the prevalence of risk factors that contribute to the onset of mental illness and prevent longer term recovery.
It will aim at increasing the ability of people with a mental illness to participate in the community, education and training. The plan will also stress on increasing public education and awareness in order to remove social stigma associated to mental illnesses.
The committee is headed by Salih Ali Al Marri, Asst General Secretary of Medical Affairs, SCH and Professor Bruce Singh, Assistant Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Others include Dr Juliet Ibrahim, Director of Health Evaluation and Planning, SCH; Dr Javaid Sheikh, Dean,WCMC-Q; Dr Mariam Abdul Malik, Head, PHC; Dr Suhaila A Ghuloum, Head, Phychiatry Department, HMC; Judith Joana, Head of Nursing, Rumailah Hospital; Gary Needle, Assistant Managing Director, HMC, Dr Fadhil Muhsin Al Roubaie, Statistics Expert, Supreme Council for Family Affairs; Dr Bakhita Muhammed Al Dosari, Ministry of Social Affairs and Sameera Hassan Ashkanani, Supreme Education Council.
© The Peninsula 2011
