Mental and Social Health in Emergencies: a Response from Nepal
Article: Van Ommeren, Saxena, & Saraceno 2005;83:73-6
18 March 2005 - The paper by van Ommeren et al (1) raises a major issue of mental and social health crisis during and after emergencies. Experiences from Nepal show that psychosocial health is simply a sidelined issue of ill health in emergencies. Yet in the realm of academic exercises and minimizing into the smallest possible packages, the modalities of providing care are diffused to limit attraction particularly in integrating it into the public health and primary health care services.
The suggested principles are noteworthy theoretical basis for providing mental health care in emergency. However, in most developing country setting, the major issue is a glaring lack of adequately trained personnel to access to all or any of the principles proposed in the paper. Critical lack of adequately trained personnel is not there by accident. This is simply because there is no job requirement for any primary health care personnel to have some (if not adequate) knowledge about psychosocial health care. Neither it is required to have the knowledge during any of the career structure of the health professionals except and only if there is a psychiatric service required in a mental hospital.
If trained human resources are available in a number that is above a critical level, these people bring in physical and financial resources required to continue the services. The most critical issue is therefore to have a mandatory requirement with career in mental/psychosocial care professionals in regular primary health services. This will be instrumental in peace, conflict and post conflict emergencies.
Gyanendra K. Sharma.
REFERENCES:
- Van Ommeren M, Saxena S, Seraceno B. Mental health and social health during and after emergencies: emerging consensus. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2005;83:71-6
Director, National Institute for Injury Prevention and Member, Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control Committee, Ministry of Health, Nepal Address for correspondence: GPO Box 14165, Kathmandu, Nepal (email: niip@wlink.com.np)