مدونة جعفر عبد الكريم الخابوري

Psychiatrist in Syria.. and the reality of some hospitals does not meet the needs of psychiatric patients!
October 2, 2024
Ghassan Fatoum
Ghassan Fatoum
The first international conference of the Syrian Association of Psychiatrists, held last week in Damascus, revealed an unsatisfactory reality of psychiatry in Syria. The existing doctors, therapists, and specialized hospitals do not meet the needs of segments of society, in addition to the absence of a law specific to mental health that conforms to international standards and guarantees the rights of patients, with regard to compulsory treatment procedures, health insurance, and the existence of provisions to combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental disorders, as there is still a limited societal view of people suffering from mental disorders, as many believe that those who visit a psychiatrist are similar to “crazy.”
This false belief has made many psychiatric patients refrain or hesitate to visit psychiatric clinics, for fear of “shame” and despite their severe suffering from psychological depression, anxiety disorder, and other psychological problems that have greatly increased during the years of war and the spread of the Corona virus.
Law First
Dr. Mazen Khalil, head of the Syrian Association of Psychiatrists, did not hide the fact that the reality of psychiatry in Syria suffers from problems that negatively affect the condition of patients. In his opinion, it is time for mental health to occupy the position it deserves within the comprehensive health system, as it has become urgent and inevitable. It constitutes a protective shield and a strong fortress for societal immunity that enables individuals to deal positively and effectively with the various challenges and pressures imposed by health requirements. He stressed that strengthening the mental health reality requires, first, a law to remove stigma and discrimination from patients, and to control the behavior of doctors, therapists, psychological and social counselors with the aim of each one taking his role, and thus the paths of mental health are integrated. He pointed out that the conference came out with an important recommendation that emphasized the creation or issuance of a law on mental health, so that it includes precise definitions of mental disorders, patients’ rights, compulsory treatment procedures, and monitoring and follow-up mechanisms, hoping that it will be followed up quickly. As for the second thing that is needed to develop the mental health reality, according to Dr. Khalil, it is health insurance for patients that makes them feel In safety, the costs of treatment are very expensive and require a lot of expenses.
A small number
Dr. Khalil complained about the severe shortage in the number of psychiatrists, compared to the population in Syria, as their number does not exceed 75 psychiatrists, explaining the reason by the emigration of many of them after graduation, especially in recent years, and the lack of encouraging incentives. Here, he called for attention to psychiatrists and all those working in the field of psychiatry, because the nature of working with psychiatric patients is very difficult and requires great efforts that should be appreciated by the concerned authorities, by increasing compensation by large percentages on an ongoing basis in order to preserve the medical cadres and those working in the fields of psychological and social counseling.
That did not happen!
In response to Al-Baath’s questions, the head of the Psychiatric Association pointed out the existence of a difficult reality in some hospitals for mentally ill patients, noting that there was an old demand from the association for the Ministry of Health to pay attention to the reality of mental health and make it a priority in its work, but this did not happen with the exception of some personal initiatives, which were not sufficient, because improving the reality of psychiatry in terms of treatment and social services requires close coordination between the various specialties and developing joint protocols for diagnosis and treatment, in which all relevant parties participate. Khalil pointed out the importance of increasing financial and institutional support for research in the field of mental health, and focusing on epidemiological studies to understand the spread of mental disorders in Syrian society, and developing appropriate therapeutic interventions. Very weak
The opinion of Dr. Khaled Koli, Vice President of the Association of Psychiatrists coming from Aleppo, did not deviate from the previous opinion, as he pointed out the existence of an unsatisfactory reality for psychiatry in Syria, and described it as weak due to the lack of the required attention from those concerned, calling for supporting the conference’s recommendation regarding designing and implementing national programs to prevent psychological disorders and promote positive mental health, through the media in the form of community awareness campaigns and programs in schools and workplaces, and training primary health care workers to discover and manage psychological problems. He also stressed the issuance of a special law on mental health that regulates work in this field in a way that contributes to improving the services provided to patients and doctors as well, and all workers in this difficult field. It does not satisfy anyone
Dr. Mahmoud Jabawi said that the reality of psychiatry, examinations and psychological treatments in all their forms and stages does not satisfy anyone, holding the Ministry of Health responsible, and the absence of laws regulating psychiatry, and also the absence of awareness of the importance and necessity of psychological treatments, expressing his regret that there are people who prefer to be treated and cured by Arab medicine, or by charlatans. Jabawi added: We must get rid of this complex or stigma because psychological disorders of all types and levels lead to paralysis of society’s capabilities, as people today are in psychological crisis as a result of the economic and living crises that we are experiencing as a result of the war and its aftermath. Regarding his opinion on the services provided to psychiatric patients at Ibn Sina Hospital, Jabawi did not hesitate to express his strong reservations about these services, pointing out the superiority of services at Ibn Rushd Hospital in Damascus and Ibn Khaldoun Hospital in Aleppo. He attributed the poor performance at Ibn Sina Hospital to poor services due to the lack of medical and administrative staff, as there are four specialist doctors and seven resident doctors, which is an insufficient number for a hospital with a capacity of about 500 beds. Jabawi pointed out that there are patients who have been at the hospital for more than ten years, wondering about the fate of their treatment!
Integration of Paths
Nabd Al-Shaab Weekly Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Jaafar Al-Khabouri