Ministry begins survey on mental health system
(CNS): With the Cayman Islands facing a woefully inadequate mental health system, officials have turned to the World Health Organisation for assistance in beginning a survey to assess the problems and gaps Cayman has when it comes to dealing with people suffering from mental health problems. Devora Kestel, the mental health regional advisor for PAHO/WHO visited the Cayman Islands last week to help the local Mental Health Commission (MHC) with the WHO's assessment instrument for mental health systems (WHO-AIMS) survey. The shocking limitations of Cayman's mental health care provision has been prevalent in the courts recently and all too often mental health patients are jailed rather than treated.
The survey will, officials say, help collect essential information on the local system to improve the situation. The project is merely a first step, however, on what will be a long road for Cayman when it comes to mental health care provision.
"With the collection of the information, as a country we will be better able to develop appropriate policies and plans for mental health, and identify our strengths and weaknesses," health officials said in a release from GIS. "The report when completed will give us a clearer picture of gaps in our mental health system, providing us with the knowledge to make the necessary improvements as needed."
Category: Health
PHEW!! A survey! Just in the knick of time!!
Then they can organise a committee. Who can decide they need a consultant. And the consultant will want a different survey….
WHO: "What is your mental health care system like?"
CIG: "Well we don't really have one, unless you count exorcisms and prayer"
WHO: "What is the prevailing attitude to mental illness?"
CIG: "Probably "18th century" is the best description"
WHO: "18th cenutry?"
CIG: "Yes, we have made real progress recently".
WHO: "What facilities are there for mental health treatment?"
CIG: "Well the local health insurance plans do not cover mental illness, so we think it does not exist"
01:42, bang on.
I believe there are also those that believe God can cure mental illness, just like everything else…..smh.
What's the difference between a psychotic episode and having a conversation with invisible spirits? I'm so embarrassed for them when they do that.
The first candidates for mental health rehabilitation services will surely be the lodge members of the PPM. Once they realize they've backed the losing horse in a 2 horse race, we might have some respite from their insanity, or is that comment too sane to print?
Well said, please share more.
Wow.. this became political real quick.
Great! Now is as good a time as any. No announcements about committees to set up committees please – lets just get on with it. Thanks for starting the ball rolling, but please put the money into good healthcare workers, no state of the art building that we cant afford, will do. Thanks a bunch.
Gaps? Let's start with downtown again: Debbie Ebanks, the lady with the machette had ONE family member attend her hearing in her behalf after she stole food from Cafe Del Sol and waived a machette while topless at Burger King and we are thankful that family memeber stood up, but WHERE (and WHO) are taking care of the MENTAL HEALTH GENTLEMAN in great need – at the same location?!?
I work at Bank of Butterfield downtown (Heroes Square) and every single day SOMEONE drops off a mentally disturbed fully grown man who sits at Cafe Del Sol Every single day. He scours the trash bins looking for cigarette butts, never has any food with him and relies on the Cafe Del Sol custmers and staff for hand outs!?!
The local policeman tells me that he refuses the services of the Mental Health day-clinic at the hospital, fair enough, at this point we cannot force him. However, I strongly suspect SOMEONE is getting PAID by Social Services to take care of this man and they are ABUSING him (and us!) for just dumping him in public every day…He is shabbily dressed, pees openly in public all day long on our ATM wall, and scares both local workers and tourists alike. The area smells becasue of his constant urination, but beyond myself and the other locals who work there, the bigger point is the SHAME on whoever is getting public funds to actually take care of this person. This is NO quality of life and someone's HEAD at Social Servcies should ROLL!?!
CNS: I have deleted the last paragraph but have made a note of it and will follow up – thanks.
Now, do we need a survey before doing something to fix this atrocity?
Bass, mental health is a serious problem, mainly caused by the non caring attitudes that prevail in a we society today. De that have naw want the next man to reach, and dem don't have all dem can do is wander the streets. An uncaringsocietyfull with demented uncaring biased politicians and a number of uncaring ungrateful C servants dat is what we have, there is ya survey base PAHO. Clean them up and then we can really help Jah people in mental distress.
Please write proper enlgish next time. All Caribbean people speak slang, no need to write it that way, just makes it unpleasant to try and read.