“National” committee continues to discuss mental health bill

In its remote meeting chaired by the second vice-president and chairperson of the committee, Naema Abdullah Al-Sharhan, the Federal National Council’s committee on health and environment issues continued to discuss a draft federal law in mental health, with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection.

Committee members attended the meeting: Sumaya Abdullah Al-Suwaidi, committee rapporteur, Ahmed Bushehab Al-Suwaidi, Shatha Saeed Alai Al-Naqbi, Azra Hassan bin Rakkad, Muhammad Ahmad Al-Yamahi, and Dr..

The Ministry of Health and Community Protection also participated in: Dr Abdel Nasser bin Salem, expert in health legislation, Dr Amna Turki, director of Al-Amal hospital, Dr Mona Al-Kuwari, director of the care department specialists, and Dr Lubna Ali Al-Shaali, Director of the Department of Public Health Policy.

Naameh Al-Sharhan said the committee continued to discuss sections of a federal mental health bill with officials from the Ministry of Health and Community Welfare, and that the amendments agreed to by the committee had approved, and the committee would continue to meet with government officials to discuss all articles of the bill, which consists of 58 articles, and then the final report on this will be prepared and submitted to the Council Presidency for discussion. during one of the next sessions.

She explained that the bill defines the concept of mental health as a state of psychological and social stability, through which the individual can achieve his goals according to his personal abilities, cope with the pressures of life and work, produce and contributing to society, while the bill clarified the term psychological disorder as a disorder of thought or mood, behavior, perception, memory or other mental abilities, some or all, provided that this results in a defect in social, functional or educational or psychological functions. suffering of the person, and these disorders are classified according to the classifications of psychiatry recognized by specialized international organizations and bodies. In addition, a psychopath is a person suffering from a mental disorder..

Naameh Al-Sharhan said that the bill emphasizes that it is not allowed to provide mental health services without obtaining a license from the health authority in accordance with the conditions and controls specified by the regulations implementing this. law, and the mental health establishment must keep a special file for the registration of patients with mental disorders, and the implementing regulations specify what data must be entered in the register and for how long it is kept.

He said the bill also clarified the conditions for compulsory admission to treatment in a psychiatric facility, so that the compulsory admission of a psychiatric patient to a mental health facility could only take place after having checked that there are clear indications that he has a serious mental disorder. disorder which presents a danger to him or to others and that its admission is necessary for his recovery or to stop the deterioration of his health. The admission of the psychiatric patient is compulsory for the treatment by decision of two psychiatrists, one of whom is in the same mental health institution, and the period of compulsory treatment is determined according to the state of health of the psychiatric patient and of compulsory admission to treatment is interrupted by decision of the attending physician, unless it is filed by decision of the public prosecutor or by virtue of a decision or decision of the competent court.

She explained that the minor psychiatric patient, according to the bill, is surrounded by special health guarantees that take into account his age group and his psychological state, and that the implementing regulations of this law specify these guarantees and checks concerning the compulsory admission of underage psychiatric patients..