Support for mental health programmes
Vietnam will offer better medical treatment and further assistance to people with mental health problems as part of a national programme lately ratified by the Government.
The programme on community-based social assistance and rehabilitation of people with mental disorders during 2011-20 was launched in the central city of Danang on Nov. 27.
Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said it would cost VND8.38 trillion to carry out the programme, with a larger portion to provide facilities and equipment for 50 healthcare and treatment centres in six regions, each of which can provide treatment to between 300 and 500 patients.
Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen told the meeting that Vietnam provides regular treatment to 10,000 people with severe mental disorders in 26 localities across the country.
The Government also provides an allowance of VND200,000 for each mental patient every month.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) deputy representative in Vietnam Jesper Moller said, "People are living with less stable, more stressful and isolated lives in many countries including Vietnam. However, public services in Vietnam are still working on decade-old models when people's lives are shorter and the threats we faced are mostly physical."
"The programme marks a historic benchmark for Vietnam when leaders, experts, representatives from ministries, universities and organisations can discuss solutions to establish an effective community-based mental heath system in Vietnam ," Jesper said.
The director of the medical service administration under the Ministry of Health, Luong Ngoc Khue, said Vietnam has 33 mental hospitals with 3,000 psychiatrists and nurses, but the number is far from meeting the actual need of the growing number of mental patients.