Psychologist: Mental health care upgrade must be followed through

Head of the TT Association of Psychologists Dr Margaret Nakhid-Chatoor says Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh's announcement that St Ann's Psychiatric Hospital will be decentralised did not transpire overnight.

She said she had raised the issue in the past and there had been a lot of plans to upgrade mental health facilities and increase personnel.

"But I believe there has been no consistent follow-through," she said, and that has always been an issue with her.

Nakhid-Chatoor said the St Ann's facility has needed to be upgraded for years. She added that there was no money to put into these mental health facilities.

She said three years ago the ministry was speaking about putting in beds for adolescents, but she did not know if this has happened. She said young people were still going into facilities with adults and were being further abused and that was a concern.

Nakhid-Chatoor said she wanted the minister and those concerned to speak more on the issue.