MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION TO BE REPEALED
Mental Health. Photo credit: www.mohawkcollege.ca
The Mental Health Services of the Solomon Islands under the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has started conducting a wider consultation with its stakeholders to review and amend the current Mental Treatment Act 1972.
Head of the Mental Health Services of Solomon Islands, Dr Paul Orotaloa expounds on the aim of the consultation.
“At the moment there is this undertaking for the revision of the Mental Treatment Act of Solomon Islands. That piece of legislation was adopted from the British well before independence so we are revising it at the moment and hopefully at the end of the whole process we will repeal the old one and have a replacement with an updated version of that legislation.”
Dr. Orotaloa adds he is happy that finally, the outdated Mental Health Act is finally under review.
“I am happy that this working progress is happening because we have been trying to address the mental health needs of our population in the Solomon Islands with a law that was very outdated and what we only adopted. So now, at the end of this whole thing, we will have our own, which is what I am happy about.”
It aims to engage stakeholders from the non-government organisations, community groups, church leaders, women’s groups and youth representatives.
The consultations will also be carried out to the provinces.