That’s the plea of registrar of the nation’s sole psychiatric hospital, Dr. Karen Providence.
“When you vilify mental health professionals, people are afraid to seek help and you have people committing suicide,” she told the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Providence said that no doctor would give medication to a mental health patient without first determining that the medication would be beneficial to the patient.
Providence, speaking at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court to where she was summoned on Tuesday, said that when the centre is demonised the nation would see what has occurred over the past few weeks.
She was speaking about the three suspected suicides, two of which were by young persons, including a 15 year-old student on the weekend.
Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett had summoned the doctor to court to explain why the court was yet to receive reports on three patients who were sent for 14 days observation on April 9, April 30, and May 2.
Providence said that while she was not trying to absolve the centre, there are a number of challenges affecting how it does its work, including the fact that there are only two doctors to treat 200 patients.
She said it is unacceptable for persons to go on Facebook and make inflammatory comments about the Mental Health Centre.
Providence said that, at the same time, these same persons commenting expect the doctors to do an efficient job in treating patients, even as they say on Facebook “Kill Dr. Providence”, “Stone Dr. Providence”, “Hang Dr. Providence”.
She suggested that the centre has problems and difficulties attracting or retaining doctors.
Providence said that there were interning doctors who were excellent at mental health care.
“Now, do you think they want to work there?” she said.
The doctor said that culture is important in treating mental health conditions, adding that when one looks at the marijuana being grown in the hills, she knows what is going on because she was born in Troumaca.
She said that when she joined the staff at the MHC, there was a Mental Health Association.
That association used to have end of year events for which tickets were by invitation only and it was an honour to secure a ticket.
The doctor said that it has been more than 10 years since the association has held an event, and its funds have been depleted.
What about you being born in troumaca and marijuana ? Don’t see the connection to the inefficient way the mental hospital is being chastised at all.
Born in Troumaca ?what’s the relevance of the statement ,I was born and raised in chatown where all the Mari Janes (marijuana) are ,so what’s your point.Try to do a better job for the Vincent insurance and at the end of the day you’ll be recognized for your hard work.I am very sry to hear about those death threats that’s really uncalled for ,I’m thinking the police need to do more protections for its citizens against such bullying ,we higher police officers every year in svg and all the recruits do is follow the examples of the senior schemers and drink rum an try to get socall rich overnight by involving in multiple illegal activities.gone are the days when polish officers could have been believed in and trusted for their help and so call expertise on certain things the we’re trained for ,after training school hmmmmm that’s another topic by itself but they do absolutely nada.
The doctors hands are tied by the dirty ULP regime who would if they could euthanize mental health patients. They under fund the centre which leads to under staffing and destroys the possibility of attracting doctors properly trained for such a facility.
To leave these people without a qualified psychiatrist is little more than a breach of human rights. The UN should be lobbied about the state and condition of the home and the quality of care given there.
Well it’s obvious that she is saying that Marijuana is a contributing factor to mental health and that being born in Troumaca, (she has seen the plant being grown there), it is easily accessible to people and makes the fight against mental instability even more challenging.
Like the doctor has become a political defender of this regime falsely attacking its lawful
Opponents. Shame on her
Where did Kay Bacchus-Baptiste get that hook for her response to the article? Is Kay hitting in the dark? Come on Kay, you can do better than that. I had to go back to read the article to see how her comment was justified. I couldn’t find a thing!
Shame on you Kay Bacchus , did you at all read this article ? It’s very difficult to see how you arrive at that statement if u really did. Everything is not about politics, I think you use to know that. What has happened to you?
Politics has no place in mental health, this is an illness. Seems to me that everyone have become psychiatrist overnight, professionals should be left to get on with their jobs and not mingle or pontificate in things they dont know about lawyers need to read the 1983 mental health act and then compare the rubbish which is in place at the moment and then advocate for it to be updated as a matter of urgency.