Urgent reform: Mental health in the Dominican Republic demands immediate attention

The president of the Senate Special Commission on Mental HealthMoisés Ayala, criticized the deficiency of beds and specialists in the face of the rapid increase in psychiatric patients in the country.

By ensuring that they will listen to all sectors linked to psychology in seeking to reform Law 12-06Ayala urged the health authorities to invest the necessary resources to alleviate the scourge.

He considered the situation plaguing the country worrying. “At the moment the health system does not record exact figures, but there is a large number of psychiatric patients.”

He said that the mental illness have experienced growth due to the use of drugs and other vices that a large part of the population is consuming without control.

He explained that this law is very important for Dominicansbecause it has the purpose of creating shelters and care units in crisis for patients with mental disorders, among other vitally relevant psychiatric services.

The PRM senator and health specialist highlighted the deficiencies of beds and specialists in hospitals, and gave as an example that at the Padre Billini Hospital, patients must wait up to two months to get a bed, due to the lack of space to be hospitalized.

He emphasized that this is a concern for the Congress and that, as a commission, they are working on this project accompanied by the different health organizationsin order to listen carefully to their approaches and achieve a law that favors Dominicans.

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The Special Commission that is in charge of analyzing the bill that modifies articles 1, 2, 4, 5, 25, 26 and 47 of the Law 12-06 on Mental Health agreed to extend an invitation to health organizations, such as the Ministry of Public Healththe Dominican Society of Psychiatry and Neurosurgeryamong others, to present their contributions to the reforms suggested to the piece presented by Senator Aracelis Villanueva Figueroa, representative of the San Pedro de Macorís province.

Among the suggested reforms, the project contemplates changes in article 2 of Law 12-06, which include the integration of mental health in primary care; the creation of crisis care units in regional hospitals; the establishment of a special fund to finance mental health programs, as well as the prohibition of employment discrimination and the protection of patient dignity.

The work of the commission was also led by its president, Moisés Ayala Pérez, along with senators Odalis Rafael Rodríguez and Eduard Alexis Espiritusanto.

Statistics

In the Dominican Republic, between 20% and 38% of the population have undiagnosed symptoms, and between 4% and 7% suffer from major depressive disorder. Many patients take between 8 and 15 years to seek specialized care, which significantly increases the risk of suicide.

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These data were provided by psychiatrist Alexandra Hichez, recognized for making visible the serious mental health problem in the country through initiatives such as the foundation “I am more than a diagnosis”as well as for his active participation in the media and social networks, where he promotes the fight for responses to the needs of general mental health services and advocates for the updating and creation of new public policies.

a note

Reform proposal
On August 21, the Minister of Health, Víctor Atallah, delivered to the president of the Senate, Ricardo de los Santos, a proposal to modify Law 12-06 on Mental Health. The reform contemplates strengthening services, guaranteeing rights and expanding coverage at the national level, among others.