Malaysian health minister visits Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry

Malaysian public health minister makes a site visit at Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry for  studying its outstanding performance on taking care of patients under a variety of services, including neurological and memory system for dementia clinic, child and adolescent mental health clinic and mental health rehabilitation programmes, according to Dr. Amporn Benjapolphithak, chief of the Department of Mental Health who stressed that the two countries are ready for information exchange to mental health development.

August 25: The Mental Health Department’s chief Dr. Amporn has taken Malaysian public health minister Khairy Jamaluddin ABU BAKAR and his team for visiting the Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry for learning more about the department’s mental health management, including patient’s service in psychiatry centre and other activities.

Dr. Amporn said that Thailand and Malaysia have developed good relations and cooperation on mental health development through a variety of activities such as meeting and training courses, particularly  a programme of mental health cooperation with Permai Hospital, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It has provided psychiatry management, health service to local communities and mental health rehabilitation programme.

Regarding Thailand, she said that it has driven a strategic plan for mental health development under the essence of mental health promotion and prevention against a mental disorder, together with improving mental health service and quality. There are 14 mental health hospitals countrywide under the department’s responsibility, and six Institute of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, which some of them is under development for the academic excellence mental health centre in the future. It is expected to be the centre for responding changes and mitigating impacts caused by the outbreak.

She further added that she has instructed her Malaysian counterparts in mental health situation in the country, which the most common cases are related with drug use, depression, schizophrenia, ADHA (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), together with medical treatment to patients with a risk to commit suicide and out-patient service. Unfortunately, the service this year has declined due to a result of COVID-19 outbreak.

Moreover, it has presented a performance of neurological and memory system for dementia clinic, treating the patients with dementia symptoms and mental health problem in child and adolescent.

It has also provided a programme of brain system and mental health rehabilitation, especially a showcase of “Red Roof Cafe” and “Pheun Shop”. They are the country’s first pilot project of social enterprise business, encouraging patients living with mental problem for returning to their normal life based on human dignity in better living condition.

The site visit is one part of activities to strengthen mutual cooperation on psychiatry development and enhance human resources development for mental health works in the future.

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