Thousands of Barbadians are seeking help from the Psychiatric Hospital, says Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Wayne Webster.
Addressing the third annual Psychiatric Hospital Awards and Recognition Ceremony on Saturday night at the Wyndham Grand Barbados, in Long Bay, St Philip, he said the figures taken from 2024 showed the important role the psychiatric hospital played.
“In 2024, there were 919 admissions of inpatient care at the Psychiatric Hospital. Add to this the 2 199 visits made to the assessment unit. This suggests the hospital impacted the lives of [more than] 3 000 people in 2024, whether through admissions or through assessment at the unit,” he said.
Webster said the hospital’s outpatient clinic recorded 10 286 attendances in 2024, while 22 264 clinic visits were recorded at the speciality health clinics located in each polyclinic, as well as the St Andrew and St Joseph outpatient clinics. In addition, he said there were 6 695 recorded home visits.
“These visits play a pivotal role in reinforcing patient adherence, early intervention, and support for recovery within familiar settings. The consistently high levels of engagement reflected in these visits reinforce the important role played by the community services in maintaining continuity of care for vulnerable clients,” he said.
The permanent secretary outlined a growing area of concern regarding the mental health of children and adolescents, especially in light of the need for more staff in this area.
Increase staffing levels
“Mental health services geared to children and adolescents are another speciality area to which dedicated employees are assigned. The growing need for these services to protect the mental health of our children and adolescents is of immediate concern. As the Ministry of Health and the Psychiatric Hospital endeavour to increase staffing levels required to meet the needs of the population group, these needs are in part demonstrated by the number of presentations to the hospital assessment team,” he said.
Webster said in 2025, from June to December, 295 young persons between the ages of six and 17 presented to the 24-hour assessment unit but added maintaining their care was dependent on the availability of psychological and occupational therapy services that were currently inadequate due to the low staffing levels. On the positive side, he said the employment of four counselling psychologists and the decentralisation of their services to polyclinics had made an impact.
However, recognising the stigma associated with mental health, Webster reminded the public that there was more to it than institutionalisation.
“Admission to the Psychiatric Hospital is only one critical aspect of care that is provided when an individual requires [help to] stabilise and manage mental illness. Like general health services, mental health care is not only provided in the hospital setting, but is also delivered at the Outpatient Clinic . . . and also through targeted programmes delivered in schools, churches and workplaces within the wider community.
“What is equally important to remember is that mental health services provided are delivered by a team of professionals who diagnose illness and provide appropriate interventions according to the level of severity being experienced by the affected persons.
“These professionals include psychiatrists, nurses trained in mental health, psychologists, occupational therapists, and social workers. It is also very important to recognise that each group . . . [helps to] support the hospital’s clinical operations. Without them, it would be impossible to effectively function in the clinical and community settings,” he said.
Webster praised the work of the hospital and thanked the awardees for their commitment and dedication. He said they were in a unique position to ensure the people in their communities and households could get help should they need it, and assured them their work was making a difference.
The ceremony included awards in areas such as long service, being a team player, innovation, patient satisfaction, safety and more. The Grace Bailey Star Award Of Excellence was won by retiree Carson Haynes, while the Award Of Excellence was won by Dr Joy Sue. (CA)
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