More than 30 participants from line ministries, NGOs and stakeholders are participating in a four-day workshop to draft Tonga’s first National Mental Health Policy at the National Centre, Tofoa.
The workshop was officially opened by the CEO for the Ministry of Health Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola yesterday.
Technical Officer on Mental Health from the WHO Representative Office in Suva who is facilitating the workshop Dr. Yutaro Setoya said the Ministry of Health invited him to assist Tonga in drafting of its first National Policy on Mental Health.
“I came here as the technical officer to support the process, I’ll facilitate this workshop in mental health policy so this workshop we invited all the stakeholders for mental health from the Government and societies, people from different organizations, NGOs to come together and provide inputs about what they want to see in the coming future in mental health.”
Dr. Setoya stated that drafting of the policy would give Tonga a chance to review the current situation and provide a way forward in relation to mental health.
“In Tonga there is a remarkable progress in strengthening mental health system by Dr. Mapa and also the help from the Government and the Ministry of Health to start this mental health policy.”
“So this mental health policy will give them a chance to review the current situation, direct us which way we want to go from here, provide objectives and goals and set targets and goals for the coming future and to also make a plan on how to actually go there.”
“We will collect all inputs from all participants today and for the next three days starting from tomorrow we will start drafting the policy and by the end of the week we will have our first draft and we will disseminate it to all stakeholders for their comments and then we will revised it again.”
Tonga’s Head Psychiatrist Dr Mapa Puloka said the policy will consist of services, treatment, prevention and other issues in regard to mental health.
“There is a need for this policy to bring everything together including, the prevention of mental health, its treatment and services provided,” he said.
“Mental health does not only refer to the people that are suffering mental disorders. A person that is smoking can be described as mental health, violence at home is one example of mental health.”
“We brought representative from every side of the country, from the society which includes town officers, politicians, line ministries and NGOs because mental health is everyone’s business.”
According to Dr Puloka the statistics of mental health in Tonga is uncertain but from the current records of the Psychiatric Ward over 2000 patients have been registered.
“So within these 2000 people, we are trying to provide services and assist 700 of them but there are only 300 that we can keep track of.”
The drafting of the policy aimed to strengthen effective leadership and governance for mental health, provide comprehensive, integrated, responsive mental health and social care services in community settings, implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health and to strengthen information system, evidence and research for mental health.