City Councilor seeks to put up mental health care services, advisory council
NAGA CITY --- An integrated approach towards the development of a coping mechanism that will effectively help to protect and promote the well-being of individuals suffering from mental health problems is being proposed for legislation to the Sangguniang Panlungsod by one of its members.
In a privilege speech last Tuesday’s regular session, City Councilor Joselito SA Del Rosario endorsed the plan that calls for the institutionalization of the mental health care services being offered by some offices of the city government.
“We have existing mental health services being implemented by some offices, which need to be revisited in line with both human and financial resources availability,” he said.
The city councilor brought up the idea of establishing a psychiatric, psycho-social, and neurologic services unit of which the operations are integrated with the Naga City Hospital as a community-based mental health care facility of the city government.
Del Rosario said the plan will give way for the creation of Naga City Mental Health Advisory Council with the city mayor as chairman and the city health officer as vice chairman. They will be joined by heads of concerned offices of the city government and representatives from NGOs and private health sector who are involved in mental health advocacies.
“The council will lead the implementation of an ordinance that seeks to institutionalize our mental health care services, providing for a consistent, rational, and unified response to mental health problems, concerns and efforts through the formulation and implementation of the Naga City Mental Health Care services,” he said.
Del Rosario said the idea, which include the passage and approval of an ordinance, is in support to the implementation of the mental health program of the national government that would allow the local government unit to adopt its own effective health care and wellness policy for its constituents.
Under the concept, the Naga City Hospital, as a mental health care facility, shall engage in the promotion of mental health and public awareness, conduct mental health promotion in educational institutions and in public and private workplaces.