Described as a mirage after more than 18 months shelved at the Attorney General’s office, the draft Mental Health Act could come to light within a month.
But Richmond Foundation CEO Doris Gauci was concerned the long-awaited legislation would remain a mere vision and she would only “believe it when I see it”.
After almost six years in the making and two years at the Attorney General’s office, the draft, which would replace the outdated 1975 legislation, was scheduled to be presented in Parliament in a months’ time, Community Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said yesterday.
Speaking during a seminar organised by the Richmond Foundation to mark World Mental Health Day, Mr Galea’s comments were welcomed by those who have lobbied for the updated legislation for years.
Closing the conference, Social Policy Minister John Dalli did not give any deadlines and only said the Bill was still at the Attorney General’s office.
Although delighted with the news, Ms Gauci repeated similar comments she gave to The Times exactly a year ago when she said the mental health legislation was “still a mirage”.
She did however heap praise on Mr Galea for his hard work and commitment put into the draft law and added she had “high hopes” the final draft would soon come to light. “Although, I’ll believe it when I’ll see it in Parliament,” she reiterated.
She queried whether the Attorney General’s office understood the full importance of the law, which, when implemented, would strengthen and give mental health patients more rights. Plus, it would ensure that patients would have a right to community care and spur the government to start working on the much-needed services.
More important and complicated laws, including EU legislation, passed through the Attorney General’s office and received Parliament’s approval within a matter of months, Ms Gauci pointed out.
People have suffered because this law was not in place, she said.
Figures released show that, last year, over 12,300 people suffering from mental health problems carried on with their everyday lives while receiving support from community based services.
People suffering from mental health problems can turn to day centres, hostels and teams of specialists run by the government and voluntary organisations for help.
The busiest service last year was that of the general hospital’s psychiatric outpatients department, with about 10,438 people making use of it. Last year, the department saw 1,352 new cases and another 202 cases were admitted.