MHAS online panel discussion at 11am tomorrow.
KUCHING (Oct 15): Hope Place founder Kelvin Wan will be one of the two speakers in ‘A Dialogue On Mental Health: Meeting the Needs of Greater Sarawak’ by Mental Health Association of Sarawak (MHAS) 11am tomorrow.
A press statement from Hope Place, said the dialogue to be live streamed on MHAS Facebook page will include Dr Syarifah Hafizah Datu Wan Kassim, consultant psychiatrist at Hospital Sentosa.
The speakers will share the challenges of meeting mental health needs in Sarawak from the perspective of the public sector and non-governmental organisation, including access to mental health services and needs, to create awareness of seeking help.
Dr Bawih Inu Pu’un, head of Psychiatry at Miri Hospital and advocate for mental health action in Miri will be the moderator.
This dialogue is part of a series organised by MHAS in conjunction with World Mental Health Day 2021.
Wan said the rise in mental health issues globally which cause personal, economic and social damages can seem like a problem too big to solve, especially in Sarawak which is the largest state in Malaysia.
“Challenges surrounding urban and rural health care access, coverage and treatment are unique to Sarawak due to its size, scattered population, and geographical terrain,” he added.
In 2018, there were only 31 psychiatrists in Sarawak to provide mental healthcare to a population of 2.7 million people, a far cry from WHO’s recommendation of one psychiatrist for every 10,000 population.
Apart from this panel discussion, there will be webinars on recognising and managing dementia in English and Mandarin, as well as storytelling activities for children.
Check out MHAS Facebook page at @mhasarawak for full details.