Minors with mental health problems will be cared for in a treatment unit outside Mount Carmel Hospital and the government is in the process of identifying the best place for this service.
“The aim is to provide adequate space for children under 11 and another two separate units for boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18. Discussions are under way with a number of stakeholders to identify buildings that are close to Mount Carmel Hospital,” a spokeswoman for the health parliamentary secretariat said.
The unit will exclusively house children and young people with mental health problems and will not take in children with behavioural problems – putting an end to the current highly criticised practice.
Children with behavioural problems will receive specialised services.
“An inter-ministerial committee – comprising the health, education and social solidarity ministries – has been set up to develop a comprehensive strategy aimed at addressing the well-being of these children and adolescents [with behavioural problems],” she said.
Under the current system, children with psychiatric problems are kept at Mount Carmel’s Young People’s Unit (YPU). Those deemed to be “too disturbed” or dangerous for the unit are kept in adult wards.
Besides, children with behavioural problems are often sent to the hospital as well since Malta lacks the facilities to deal with their needs.
This state of affairs has been heavily criticised for many years but no concrete action has been taken. In 2011 Children’s Commissioner Helen D’Amato expressed concern after it emerged that five of the 10 minors being treated at the hospital were being kept in the adult wards.
Back then Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said he planned to work towards setting up a treatment unit, specifically for children, located outside the Attard hospital.
Last September the nurses’ union sounded the alarm over what it said were children aged 16 and younger exposed to sexual abuse and physical violence by adult patients with whom they shared wards.
Opposition spokesman Claudio Grech raised the issue again last month when he expressed deep concern that a minor under the age of 10 had been admitted to a ward with adults.
A few days later Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne said plans to have dedicated facilities for children were in the pipeline.
The urgency for this was highlighted on Tuesday when mental health experts proposed a plan on mental health services for children to Parliament’s health committee.
The plan noted that, last year, 54 young patients received treatment at the hospital: 36 suffered from depression, 15 had conduct disorders or personality issues and three had learning disabilities.
Due to the absence of mental health services geared towards young people, the experts said, these patients were being managed in “inappropriate environments”.
ccalleja@timesofmalta.com