The government has defended the accommodation of young people with mental health issues just outside Mount Carmel Hospital, following the Mental Health Commissioner’s advice to move such care to Mater Dei.
In his annual report tabled in Parliament, John Cachia had promoted a move of acute psychiatric services for children, adolescents and youth to the general hospital, saying Mount Carmel should specialise in old-age psychiatry and dementia.
When contacted, a spokeswoman for the Health Parliamentary Secretariat noted that services for the young were divided in two: out and inpatient.
While none of the outpatient’s services are offered within Mount Carmel, a refurbished residential unit opened its doors four months ago for inpatients.
The house is close to, but not part of, Mount Carmel and the ambience, in line with international trends, is that of a home rather than a hospital, the spokeswoman said.
“Ideally, children, adolescents and youth should never require inpatient care and all efforts are done by the community services to prevent such admission.
Ideally, children, adolescents and youth should never require inpatient care
“In extremely severe cases, such admission is unavoidable. The location of this new residence was decided keeping in mind that such severe cases, which are few and rare, receive better and safer care if they are catered for in a place where complete back-up of a psychiatric hospital is available.”
In his report, Dr Cachia is also of the view that Mount Carmel Hospital and the mental health wards of the Gozo General Hospital need extensive investment for proper refurbishment. In its comments, the secretariat noted that while refurbishment for Mount Carmel was in the offing, the Gozo hospital would soon be upgraded and totally refurbished as part of a private public partnership project.
The government, she said, was committed to revamp the health system, with St Luke’s Hospital to include a rehabilitation hospital, a dermatology unit and a trauma centre, and Karen Grech Hospital housing a geriatric hospital.
In the meantime the old Boffa Hospital is being refurbished to house long-term patients currently receiving care at Mater Dei.
There are also plans for development of a new mental health facility and refurbishment of Mount Carmel Hospital.