The number of specialised nurses helping to give psychiatric care at Mount Carmel Hospital was gradually increasing and the hope was that all those nurses providing special care to people would eventually specialise, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne said.

He was answering parliamentary questions by MPs Claudette Buttigieg (PN) and Anthony Agius Decelis (PL).

Mr Fearne said he had just visited construction work on a new building just outside Mount Carmel Hospital which by the end of June should be ready to take in youths between 12 and 16 who needed mental care.

Asked what would happen after the age of 16, Mr Fearne said psychiatric care was changing. If possible, nobody needed to be kept in a mental institution. Any acute care needed was given for a few weeks and then the patients went back to the community.

When this was not possible the government was working with NGOs to open hostels for young people, and a number of health centres provided care in the community.

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