The ongoing escalation of the conflict in north-western Syrian Arab Republic continues to impact heavily on civilians. Between 1 May and 18 August 2019, over 570 000 people were displaced. Access to health care has also been severely limited. There are only 2 psychiatrists for almost 4 million people, and only 2 facilities have the capacity to treat people suffering from severe mental health conditions through inpatient care.
WHO fully supports one of these facilities. Sarmada Mental Health Facility, with 20 inpatient beds and an outpatient clinic, provides an average of 321 outpatient consultations per month. It treats various mental health conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and psychosis.
“Today, I’m one of the only psychiatrists in an area where about 3 million people live. Due to the war, the situation is tragic,” explains Dr Satoo, Psychiatrist and Managing Director of Sarmada Mental Health Facility. “It affects everything: difficulties finding jobs and bad living conditions. No one is free from some sort of psychological problem. There are no official figures, but we are seeing more and more extreme cases each month.”
The Facility is operating at maximum capacity. One of the main barriers limiting expansion is a lack of specialist expertise. To fill this gap, WHO, supported by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), is implementing the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which is designed to address common mental, neurological and substance abuse conditions.
By training general practitioners to treat mild to moderate mental health conditions, the burden on specialized staff is decreased. Despite his already heavy workload, Dr Satoo is the proud supervisor of 43 mhGAP trainees.