The Psychiatry Hospital at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) attends to about 100 patients on a daily basis at its outpatient clinic, said a top hospital official.
“The number of patients varies between 75 and 120 on an average at the outpatient clinic every day. There are 74 beds in the inpatient facility,” said Dr Suhaila Ghuloum, a senior consultant.
Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth Qatar International Mental Health Conference, Dr Ghuloum said, “The Psychiatry Hospital is the main provider of the mental healthcare and we see mainly patients with severe conditions. Patients with milder conditions are cared by the primary care. The major cases dealt at the hospital are depression, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia among others.”
She said services and facilities would be expanded in the future. “While we expand, the focus of community mental healthcare will be on rehabilitation. The services will be improved as the focus of the National Mental Health Strategy is to add more facilities for community mental health.”
Iain Tully, CEO, Mental Health Services, HMC, said the conference has been looking at the evidence that supports good mental healthcare. “We need to find ways to be in contact with people who provide the services. So we have to look at scientific based approach but very much tailored to the family.”
“As mental health carries stigma, many people don’t want to seek medical help due to the fear of stigma. We have to try to make it easy for people to come forward. We have to make sure that we have services that are for people to use in a way that keeps their confidentiality. We hope, as the new law is implemented, people will realise that seeking help will actually help them,” he added.
About 20 local, regional and international speakers and 500 delegates took part in the conference that concluded on Saturday at Westin Doha.
