Ministry says mental health facilities regularly monitored
Naaz denies all allegations.
By
Aminath Shifleen
Health ministry said on Wednesday that all mental health facilities in the country will continue to be monitored as per the procedures.
Renowned psychiatrist and owner of Maldives Institute for Psychological Services (Mipstar) Dr Aishath Ali Naaz has been accused of some of her patients of substandard treatment practices. Health ministry has since launched an investigation.
Health ministry said that mental health facilities are also being monitored under certain guidelines. The ministry, however, did not disclose if the problems at Mipstar had been raised before.
"We always assess clinics. If there is a problem with a specific place, we will look into it in particular," health ministry spokesperson Aishath Shathufa said.
There is a certain procedure to be followed while issuing licences for psychologists and counselling:
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Various licences will be issued for treatment of mental disorders
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For any kind of licence, at least a diploma in the field is required
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Educational level and experience in providing psychological support to patients and conducting tests should be above a certain threshold
One of the most frequent complaints about Mipstar was the assessment of patients by untrained youngsters, and complaints had arisen about carelessness and misdiagnosis from the care providers.
According to social media posts by a group of people who had consulted with Mipstar and Naaz shared their experiences:
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Negligence in treating patients
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Naaz violates rules and regulations to be retained in her profession
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Lengthened delays in medical reports
Naaz denies all allegations.
