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Mental health services where there is no psychiatrist: my experience in Sabah

Mental health services where there is no psychiatrist: my experience in Sabah The state of Sabah in Malaysia is half the size of England and has a population of about 5 millions. In 2008, there were only two psychiatrists in the entire state and both of us were working in Mesra Hospital, the state mental hospital at Kota Kinabalu, the capital city. In the National Health and Morbidity Survey ( NHMS III, 2008 ), the estimated prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in Sabah was 7.9% and child psychiatric problems 20%. Dr. Mohd Daud Dalip, the Hospital Director, started the re‐organization of the mental health services in 2000. Networking with the district hospitals was the initial step. Telephone‐consultation between the district hospitals and Mesra Hospital was emphasized to facilitate referrals and admission. The personnel behind the mental health services in Sabah are the medical assistants and staff nurses. They are the coordinators in the out‐patient clinics ‐ they review patients, do home‐visits and trace defaulters. Difficult problems are referred to the medical officer in the hospital and they can make direct referral to Mesra Hospital if necessary. Training and education of personnel are carried out annually. The psychiatrist is required to travel and provide consultation to 18 district hospitals. Some hospitals are visited monthly and others 2–3 monthly. These visits are to provide support for the medical staff in patient management. Lectures are given to the hospital staff as part of their continuing medical education programme. In 2006–2007, two district hospitals started psychiatric in‐patient service. Each district hospital has a home visit team, which is part of the Primary Health Care Programme, and the team consists of a medical assistant and staff nurse. Psychiatric home visit is mainly for patients who are on depot injection. Today, Sabah has more psychiatrists and last year a child‐and‐adolescent psychiatrist has been appointed at Mesra Hospital. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Asia-Pacific Psychiatry Wiley

Mental health services where there is no psychiatrist: my experience in Sabah

Yoon, Chee Kok
Asia-Pacific Psychiatry , Volume 2 (3) – Oct 1, 2010
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Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
ISSN
1758-5864
eISSN
1758-5872
DOI
10.1111/j.1758-5872.2010.00075.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The state of Sabah in Malaysia is half the size of England and has a population of about 5 millions. In 2008, there were only two psychiatrists in the entire state and both of us were working in Mesra Hospital, the state mental hospital at Kota Kinabalu, the capital city. In the National Health and Morbidity Survey ( NHMS III, 2008 ), the estimated prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in Sabah was 7.9% and child psychiatric problems 20%. Dr. Mohd Daud Dalip, the Hospital Director, started the re‐organization of the mental health services in 2000. Networking with the district hospitals was the initial step. Telephone‐consultation between the district hospitals and Mesra Hospital was emphasized to facilitate referrals and admission. The personnel behind the mental health services in Sabah are the medical assistants and staff nurses. They are the coordinators in the out‐patient clinics ‐ they review patients, do home‐visits and trace defaulters. Difficult problems are referred to the medical officer in the hospital and they can make direct referral to Mesra Hospital if necessary. Training and education of personnel are carried out annually. The psychiatrist is required to travel and provide consultation to 18 district hospitals. Some hospitals are visited monthly and others 2–3 monthly. These visits are to provide support for the medical staff in patient management. Lectures are given to the hospital staff as part of their continuing medical education programme. In 2006–2007, two district hospitals started psychiatric in‐patient service. Each district hospital has a home visit team, which is part of the Primary Health Care Programme, and the team consists of a medical assistant and staff nurse. Psychiatric home visit is mainly for patients who are on depot injection. Today, Sabah has more psychiatrists and last year a child‐and‐adolescent psychiatrist has been appointed at Mesra Hospital.

Journal

Asia-Pacific Psychiatry – Wiley

Published: Oct 1, 2010

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