DOH wants mental health bill included in Duterte admin's priorities

The Department of Health (DOH) will be pushing for the inclusion of the mental health bill in the priority legislative agenda for President Rodrigo Duterte's first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Health Secretary Paulyn Rosell-Ubial said, "It's important that our legislators be aligned with the priorities of the executive in terms of pushing for legislation and policies that will benefit the Filipino people." 

Ubial: We included the Mental Health bill in our proposal; prioritized for inclusion in SONA pic.twitter.com/KkvHRuqWlk

— Rie Takumi (@rie_takumi) July 14, 2016

Senate Bill No. 2450 or the "Philippine Mental Health Act of 2014" and House Bill No. 5347 or the "Philippine Mental Health Act of 2015" aim to create a mental healthcare system "that responds to their mental health needs in equity with their physical health needs,” Ubial said. 

Once the bill is passed, a mental health module will be proposed to the Department of Education (DepEd) for inclusion in the curriculum of elementary and high school students.

The course will be derived from a module developed in Oregon in the United States.

"Yung isang tinitingnan namin is we network with DepEd. Meron kasing curriculum na actually looks at mental health and well-being. Yung hindi lang yung tutugunan natin yung problema kung meron silang sakit or depressed na sila," Ubial said.

"Alam naman natin na nakaapekto ito sa mental health and well-being ng mga tao doon so nagdevelop na tayo ng module which we'll call the community-based mental health program," she said. 

Community-based mental health facilities will also be established to provide affordable and accessible mental health care and counseling to the public.

"Magkakaroon tayo ng mga community-based mental health program and we're training the primary physicians and even nurses to provide mental health first aid," Ubial continued. 

Psychotropic medicines will also be available at these centers.

"Slowly, nagpoprovide na rin tayo ng psychotropics, yung mga gamot na dati sa mental hospital lang binibigay. Pati sa community as long as the doctors are trained to provide these medicines," Ubial said. — VVP, GMA News