3 years on, mental health bill still a draft
The government has been criticised by mental health professionals and the public for failing to resubmit the bill to the parliament.
By
Shahudha Mohamed
The government has completed the drafting of the mental health bill, three years later.
Expanding mental healthcare is a pledge of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih:
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The mental health bill was first drafted and submitted to the parliament in 2019.
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However, the parliamentary work on the bill had not been carried out.
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The bill was then withdrawn on 17 February 2020.
Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed had said then that Kurendhoo MP Abdul Ghani Abdul Hakeem, who submitted the bill on behalf of the government, withdrew the bill to complete it.
The government has been criticised by mental health professionals and the public for failing to resubmit the bill to the parliament after that.
Spokesperson at the President's Office Miuvaan Mohamed told Atoll Times on Sunday that the mental health bill’s drafting has now been completed, but he did not comment on why it took so long to draft the bill.
State health minister Dr Shah Abdulla Mahir also confirmed the bill has been drafted in response to a question posed by Atoll Times at the panel discussion held at Meerumaa event hall on Sunday to mark World Mental Health Day. The event was organised by the Institute of Counselling and Psychotherapy (ICP).
The state minister said:
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The process of seeking opinions on the bill from the Attorney General's Office and other relevant authorities is currently underway.
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He is not informed on when the bill will reach the parliament, but affirmed that work was underway
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the mental health bill will introduce:
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A state-funded treatment system for those suffering from mental illnesses
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Policies to protect the rights of those seeking mental healthcare
Studies have shown that there are a lot of issues related to mental illness in the Maldives.
Mental health issues have increased in the Maldives, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic and in a global context, one in four people suffer from mental ailments in the Maldives.
According to the main state hospital Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), there were 3,000 people on the waiting list of their National Mental Health Centre in 2019.
