(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) psychiatry department has formally opened a new mental health service at Al Wakra Hospital (AWH), increasing access to specialised mental healthcare for patients across the hospital's medical, surgical and emergency departments.
Dr Mohamed Ali, senior consultant psychiatrist at AWH, said that the service provides consultation across departments to patients who may also have other existing conditions.
The bulk of the mental health team's everyday duties include covering AWH's emergency department on a 24/7 basis. The service also runs an outpatient clinic twice a week.
"We see on average 200 patients per month across all medical specialties, and the most common referrals to our service involve patients with depression, but we see patients who are experiencing a range of mental illnesses which we are now able to assess and begin treatment for on location at AWH. All cases referred to our mental health service are assessed on the same day based on clinical priorities," Dr Ali said.
"We also plan to expand our mental health services further to include home visits and community-based care. It will also contribute towards changing negative attitudes towards mental health issues and increasing the number of people who have access to the care they need, in line with the National Mental Health Strategy," he stated.
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