Keep mental healthcare up to date

KLANG: The Health Ministry has been urged to review private psychiatric nursing homes and centres in the country to ensure they are regulated and keep up with global changes as well as standards in psychiatric care.

Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) president Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj said there is a need for these homes to be relooked and re-examined by the Health Ministry.

He said MMHA has received many complaints of abuse as well as other unsavoury incidents taking place in these homes.

“Psychiatric nursing homes and centres that do not comply with provisions enshrined in the Mental Health Act may have to be shut down,” he said.

Dr Andrew said the MMHA hopes the Health Ministry will impose on these facilities the same prerequisites used on other healthcare service providers such as dialysis centres.

“In the past, just about anyone who had the money could set up a dialysis centre, but now anyone wanting to open up such a place needs to have a nephrologist (kidney specialist) on board.

“They do not need to be there 24 hours but they will be the ones responsible and accountable for the dialysis centre,” said Dr Andrew, who is also Selangor Mental Health Association president.

He added that the Health Ministry must make the presence of a psychiatrist compulsory at all psychiatric care and nursing homes.

“The psychiatrist will be the person responsible and accountable for the running of the home or centre and will be the one answerable to the authorities if something untoward occurs,” he said.

Dr Andrew also said all private care facilities must act in tandem with the paradigm shift happening globally with regards to mental healthcare.

He said the conventional institutionalised method of treating people living with mental health issues has become passe.

“It is also happening in Malaysia with our main psychiatric care facilities such as Hospital Permai in Johor and Hospital Bahagia in Perak reducing the intake for institutionalised care.

“And the government has set up psychiatric units in regular government hospitals to normalise mental healthcare and make it easily available,” he said.

Dr Andrew said since the government is doing away with the conventional institutionalised care for psychiatric patients, all private mental healthcare centres and nursing homes must follow suit.

“It is not appropriate for these private entities to duplicate institutionalised care by having cell-like structures as well as grilles to restrict movement.

“With the current de-escalation techniques and very safe medication, psychiatric patients must be treated with family and community involvement and not in isolation,” he added.

To achieve this, he said, private psychiatric nursing homes and centres must be made to have a board of visitors, just like hospitals, consisting of neighbourhood members.

He said this would ensure that private establishments are monitored and that community members will be given a chance to participate in caring for residents in a holistic manner.

“Community and family involvement together with updated medication and techniques are the way forward,” he added.