DOHA: An average of 200 patients seek medical intervention at a new mental health service at Al Wakra Hospital each month since its soft opening in January.
The most common referrals involve patients with depression, says Dr Mohammad Ali, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist leading implementation at AWH.
Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Psychiatry Department has formally opened the service at AWH, increasing access to specialized mental health care for patients across the hospital’s medical, surgical and emergency departments.
Dr Ali said, “We started setting up our mental health service at AWH in January 2015 to serve the community in Al Wakra.
“The service, which provides consultation across departments to patients who may also have other existing conditions, is staffed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of a senior consultant psychiatrist, an old age consultant psychiatrist, a specialist psychiatrist, a clinical psychologist, a social worker, an occupational therapist and administrative staff.”
The bulk of the mental health team’s everyday duties include covering AWH’s Emergency Department on a 24/7 basis.
The service also runs an outpatient clinic twice a week. “We see on average 200 patients per month across all medical specialities, and the most common referrals to our service involve patients with depression, but we see patients who are experiencing a range of mental illnesses which we are now able to assess and begin treatment for on location at AWH. All cases referred to our mental health service are assessed on the same day based on clinical priorities,” he said.
“We also plan to expand our mental health services further to include home visits and community-based care. Expanding the range of settings where we can provide specialized care will allow us to provide treatment based on individual patient need.
“It will also contribute towards changing negative attitudes towards mental health issues and increasing the number of people who have access to the care they need, in line with the National Mental Health Strategy,” he said.
He said mental illness can occur for a number of reasons and can affect anyone regardless of social circumstances, age or gender, and that it can be treated just like any physical illness. The Peninsula
