Prime Minister the Honourable Stephenson King maintains commitment to mentally ill persons
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Contact: Adhara King
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 – Prime Minister of Saint Lucia the Honourable Stephenson King maintains government commitment to exemplary care for mentally ill persons.
The Prime Minister asserts that such persons need to be embraced and treated, not neglected and ostracized.
“No longer must mental health patients be treated in the manner in which some of us believe that they must be treated. They must be treated because they are ill. And because they are ill, they must be treated by people who understand their illness, and who are trained to administer the necessary treatment for such ill persons.”
On the advent of a new Neuro-Psychiatric facility being constructed on the island, Prime Minister King said, the structure is merely a part of a comprehensive mental health plan. Modern equipment, competent staffing, and refined programmes are other critical aspects of the strategy.
“The government must invest in training of our people as doctors, nurses, counsellors, and other auxiliary heath practitioners to bring about the kind of comprehensive programme and package that is deserving of our people;” said Prime Minister King.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to rehabilitate mental health patients sufficiently to sustain themselves upon return to the wider community. |
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