By Hasan Kamoonpuri -
MUSCAT — A major 245-bed state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital is now in its final stages of completion at Al Hashiya in the Wilayat Al Amerat.
Sources in the office of the Minister of Health, Dr Ahmad bin Muhammad al Saeedy, said the new psychiatric hospital will have a special focus on the total treatment and rehabilitation programme, through which the patients are expected to maintain the best possible quality of healthy life, fulfil their family responsibilities, and remain as productive as possible.
Estimated to cost RO 44.55 million, the hospital will have a large day care unit in which patients will participate in occupational therapy, psychotherapy, counselling, group therapy, physical fitness, behaviour therapy, and other therapeutic activities like horticulture, music, computer literacy, religious therapy, and domestic skills training.
In a conjoint programme with the Sultan Qaboos University, it will also serve as a centre for post-graduate and
undergraduate psychiatric training for doctors, nurses and other related disciplines.
Salim Saidi, Director, Public Relations, Ministry of Health, said the hospital will be equipped with cutting-edge technology and treatments, including EEG, complete psychometric evaluation, detoxification and treatment of drug addiction cases, treatment of alcohol dependence, child/adolescent/adult psychiatry services and forensic services. The hospital will have all diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, emergency and training programmes.
Unlike 50 years ago, most of the psychiatric disorders are now treatable. Experts in the ministry say there is an increasing awareness of the causes of mental problems and a recognition that these common disorders do not spare any nationality, race or region. An increase in the incidence of mental problems worldwide in recent times is due to increasing globalisation, urbanisation and increasing pace of life, coupled with higher competitiveness and stress of daily life. A worldwide manifold increase in substance misuse, depression, anxiety and other stress-related disorders are also increasing.
The need for this hospital was being felt for a few years as the present facility — Ibn Sina Hospital — is too small for the needs of the country and is always over-crowded with patients.
The new psychiatric hospital is based on the principle that treatment of drug addiction, depression and other mental problems is incomplete and ineffective unless the person is rehabilitated to mainstream life and productivity. The emphasis at the new hospital is therefore on proper rehabilitation and in hospital occupation of individuals, otherwise the emergence of chronic and frequent relapse results in an increased and permanent disability.
The Al Amerat Psychiatric Hospital features outdoor recreation areas such as swimming pool, basketball, tennis courts, running and walking track, open courtyards and football playground with proper security and safety measures.
Each ward features interview and classrooms, occupational therapy halls, patient dining, seminar room, TV room and indoor games room. The hospital is being designed to also address medico-legal cases of the nation.
The psychiatric hospital will have a large outpatient unit for all kinds of general psychiatric cases. The patient will be attended, prior to appointment, in confidential comfortable surroundings. There will be a separate OPD for substance misuse cases.
A Psychiatric Emergency Unit will function round the clock to provide emergency care to walk-in patients needing emergency care. Two 25-bed wards will be dedicated for the treatment and rehabilitation of substance misuse cases; two 25-bed wards will be dedicated for the treatment and rehabilitation of female, one 25-bed ward designed for the evaluation, management and treatment of legal cases that have associated primary or associated psychiatric problems.
A 20-bed child and adolescent ward will also include five mother and child beds for treatment of cases where the mother and the child need to be treated together. The child and adolescent ward will also have two in-house classrooms where teachers from the child’s school can come and continue the lessons for the child.
The remaining four wards of 25 beds each will be for the adult male acute and rehabilitative psychiatry. The plans for the new psychiatric hospital include spacious green areas, space for a variety of indoor and outdoor games, and a running track for use by the patients and staff.