Health Ministry marks World Mental Health Day

Manama, Oct. 29 (BNA): Under the patronage of Undersecretary Dr. Aysha Buonq, the Health Ministry has organised the "Dignity in Mental Health" forum, marking the World Mental Health Day, in the presence of the ministry's Assistant Undersecretary for Technical and Financial Affairs Maher Al-Onais and senior officials. Psychiatric Hospital's Acting President Dr. Adel Al-Oufi delivered a statement in which he asserted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) celebrated this year's World Mental Health Day under the theme "Dignity in Mental Health" because of the encroachement on the rights of mentally-ill persons who, he said, are often socially ostracised and don’t receive full care and health care in many countries. He explained that the forum aims to shed light on the efforts of the Health Ministry in the field of mental health and its achievements regarding respect for mentally-ill patients and keenness on appreciating them and ensuring them their rights and dignity. Psychiatric consultant Dr. Fadhel Al Nasheet affirmed that psychiatry services in the Kingdom of Bahrain date to back to the 1930s, indicating that nowadays they are provided clock-wise across the kingdom's governorates.