By Leilani S. Junio
CORON, Palawan, April 8 (PNA) — In pursuance of the government’s National Mental Health Policy, the Department of Health-Mimaropa or Region IV-B started on Wednesday a three-day training on Mental Health Gap Action Program (MHGAP) at Coron Village Lodge in Coron, Palawan.
The training is being participated in by different municipal health officers (MHOs), doctors and nurses of DOH-Mimaropa and spearheaded in coordination with psychiatrists, doctors and other expert trainers of the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) in Mandaluyong City.
MHGAP training is in support to the call of the World Health Organization (WHO) for countries to give priority in addressing mental health problems to prevent cases of suicides and thus save precious lives.
Among the common mental health problems cited are bipolar disorders, stress-related disorders and other significant emotional or medically unexplained conditions of patients.
According to Dr. Aurora Gaerlan Campita, head of the Integrated Non-Communicable Disease and Control Program (INCDCP) of DOH-Mimaropa, the region-wide training is part of efforts to ensure that people in the Mimaropa provinces have enough access to mental health programs.
“This is the last among the series of a total of nine batches of trainings that started in February of this year,” Dr. Campita said, adding that the project was initiated and decided by DOH-Mimaropa Director Eduardo C. Janairo.
“Director Janairo has seen the need to train the MHOs and nurses in the region in providing speedy assessment and management of mental health problems that may arise, especially during times of disasters,” Dr. Campita said.
MIMAROPA refers to the island provinces of Region IV-B such as the twin provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.
“Since Mimaropa is facing the problem of lack of expert psychiatrists, most of the cases of people suffering from mental problem are being referred to the NCMH (in Metro Manila),” Campita said.
She explained that with the knowledge gained from the lecturers of NCMH, initial management of cases and even medical treatment can now be handled in Mimaropa and will not require further referrals.
In the series of trainings, NCMH experts shared information and knowledge on how to handle mentally ill patients and how the doctors and nurses should manage and treat some common mental disorders.
As part of the output of the training, the DOH-Mimaropa officials are also eyeing to have at least one mental rehabilitation facility that can be developed later to serve the island provinces. (PNA)