Health Ministry to integrate mental healthcare services

The Health Ministry has said it planned to integrate healthcare services for mental health patients between psychiatric hospitals and community health centres (Puskesmas) in a bid to make psychiatric treatment available to more Indonesians in the future.

Health Ministry director of prevention and control for mental health problems and drugs Celestinus Eigya Munthe said expanding the capacity of Indonesia’s healthcare system to cater to mental health issues in the population was crucial, given the increase in the prevalence of mental health problems during the pandemic.