PM's Remarks at Commissioning of Child and Adolescent, Robert Smith, and Special Education Complex

Tue, Jun 14th 2016, 10:44 AM

- INVITED GUESTS
- STAFF
- PATIENTS
- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

A PLEASANT GOOD AFTERNOON.

My Cabinet colleagues and I are most pleased to join with you, the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre family, the Public Hospitals Authority and the Minister of Health as we open the doors of this new facility.

The old axiom says, “Good things come to those who wait!” Well the wait is over. Here we are today, even though longer than I would have expected, assembled to commission this modern, state-of-the-art, fully equipped, and furnished public mental health facility.

I am also reminded of the famous quote, "It takes a village to raise a child,” which expresses the thought that no one individual has the responsibility for child rearing alone. It is a communal effort. We all need someone to lean on, someone to lend a helping hand, someone to ‘pick up the slack’, as it were, when inevitable challenges arise.

This is even more critical when we speak to the issue of raising mentally, behaviourally, and physically challenged children. Today’s official commissioning ceremony of the Child and Adolescent Robert Smith and Special Education Complex, marks a significant milestone that the pivotal role this new facility will play in housing services and resources to assist in nurturing and treating those in need of this kind of care.

It speaks to the fact that as a Government, as a people and as health care professionals, we appreciate and recognize that whatever it takes we must be holistic in our approach to the treatment of those who are mentally, behaviourally and physically challenged and include such precious individuals within the full ambit of our health care umbrella.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While no one would argue that, the best place for children and adolescents is at home with their families, a child or adolescent with mental illness, behavioural, developmental or physical challenges should be afforded the best treatment in the safest and least restrictive environment. However, as we are all too aware, sometimes the impairment a child suffers is severe enough to require in-patient care and so, as with all services here at Sandilands, it must be clearly understood that the delivery of mental, psycho-behavioural care to patients has a multi-disciplinary approach.

I am told that psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, neurologists, allied health professionals, social workers and support staff all play a role as team members. This multi-disciplinary philosophy has come to represent one of the quality indicators commonly used internationally in the evaluation and comparison of mental health services; and it is an indication that Sandilands continues to lead the way with the provision of care to the mentally ill and developmentally challenged. We need to be proud of this.

The commissioning, today, of the Child and Adolescent and Robert Smith Special Education Complex, or C.A.R.S, as its acronym applies, is indeed a ‘red letter day’ for my government, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), and more importantly the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre (SRC).

We have pursued, and accomplished our objective to provide the best in quality service to patients - service that is on par with any residential treatment facility in the region and indeed the world. We have done so being ever mindful of the philosophy espoused in the Mission and Vision statement of the Sandilands Rehabilitation Center: “To be a Caribbean model for Geriatric, Psychiatric and Rehabilitative Health Care.”

Of particular note, I wish to point out that this brand new facility, very deliberately painted yellow and white -- not the traditional pink and white which retains a certain stigma that people may associate with "the crazy hill" – radiates a quality that is cool and calm, and fully in line with our other public hospital facilities. This simple aesthetic reality is synonymous with the work that must continue to be undertaken to eliminate that stigma that is attached to mental illness and disorders.

Let just say this to the parents and families of the youngsters who are being treated in this facility: A diagnosis of mental illness does not have to mean the end of someone's hopes and dreams. Children with developmental challenges can and do enjoy active, fun and love-filled childhoods and grow to experience life to the fullness of their individual potential.

One day I hope to see the diversity of our Bahamian communities and work places grow to include our fellow citizens who may be differently-abled where appropriate. Every one of us, even the most challenged has a contribution to make, and stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness or disability should never prove a barrier to personal growth and achievement.

I am pleased to note that the staff at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre supports special people, assisting them to realize their potential, as they work to improve the lives of thousands affected by mental illness and developmental challenges.

We can see the benefits of this good work in the Special Education Department, as well as, the Day Programme that will also have occupancy in this complex. These important services continue to provide out-patients as well as residents with the educational, recreational, and social developmental requirements of patients, which is beneficial to operate as a one-stop shop – with all services under one roof.

Further, this facility will now house a school-based programme, that reduces levels of mental disorder, and improves academic performance, social and emotional skills, as well as, classroom behaviour. In addition, such a programme can also result in a reduction in the number of cases treated for depression and anxiety.

It is my understanding that the new Child and Adolescent Ward will now be able to assist and address the space challenges long experienced by both staff and patients, to provide quality mental health care.

You would have heard that this new Child and Adolescent Section of the Complex, has been expanded from twenty-four (24) beds to thirty-six (36) beds, providing the opportunity to reach out to our youths to address their social and mental behaviour, as well as, physically disabled persons. An impeccable in-patient programme provides comprehensive assessment and treatment for children and adolescents. Nonetheless, the increase space will also enhance the ability of the staff to respond to the specific therapeutic, educational, and developmental needs of the children.

Then there is the Robert Smith Ward, which now houses thirty (30) patients. These patients will now relocate to a space within the Complex that can accommodate up to fifty-three (53) patients, providing services to clients who have varying levels of mental retardation, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, and a few with known medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Speaking to the broader level of the delivery of health care in our nation my government has undertaken several initiatives in improving healthcare facilities around our country; these long anticipated Health Systems Strengthening projects have been accelerated as part of the National Health Insurance implementation. As a result, many of our public clinics, and other health facilities, which are obviously aging, are being enhanced and retooled to provide members of the public with the highest quality of care.

Indeed, the National Health Services Strategic Plan 2010-2020 Goal Number Five (5) speaks to "ensured planning, management, accessibility and utilization of health infrastructure and health technologies that are appropriate to the needs of the population to sustain quality care." Moreover, the "Strategies and Actions" in this goal emphasizes that infrastructural and facility development occur in tandem with the expansion of the population.

Essentially, overarching health policy and our long-term public health strategy have brought us to where we are today, at the commissioning of this magnificent, state-of-the-art health care facility that will cater to the needs of a very special segment of the Bahamian population. These young people and their families will access these services seeking assistance to address, and/or manage their mental and physical incapacities. In this new complex, they will find an improved environment and streamlined services that meet their needs and improve their health outcomes. This facility and the staff associated with it will be providing a level of service which few families in our country could ever have afforded. This should not go unnoticed.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Having made reference to National Health Insurance (NHI) and Universal Health Care, the obvious question arises as to how NHI will work for the mentally challenged, the disabled, and those diagnosed with other behavioural issues. This is something my government has considered, and we are working feverishly on a plan with the involvement of leaders and other stakeholders in the mental health field.

On a more personal note, many of your would know how important seeing this project through as Prime Minister is for me. It bears a deep and personal imprint on any achievement I could ever have as the country’s leader, but also as the father of a challenged child.

As someone with first-hand experience of stigma and discrimination when it comes to a differently-abled child, I know how people's perception with respect to a condition can lead to unconscious biases against children or young people and their families. On a very personal level, I understand the profound impact of stigma, misconceptions, and myths.

Today, with this beautiful health facility we can now give affected patients and their families hope and comfort; and we can also strike a blow against stigma by clearly prioritizing the resources and services needed to provide the best in quality, and excellent mental care to current and future patients - our brothers and sisters, our fellow citizens of this beautiful Bahamas - who will utilize this complex.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have invested so much to provide the best comprehensive care all under one roof. The Mental Health Journal writes, "Good mental health provides the bedrock for good physical health and for a range of other important life skills, capacities, and capabilities." The Bahamas is at a crossroads where health, social care, and more importantly, mental health is existing in a time of considerable change.

It is against this backdrop that the government has made improvements in these areas with focused attention with respect to prevention, effective treatment, and efficient mental health facilities to bring about better outcomes for people experiencing ill health. This is why we have gathered today, commissioning such a fine facility.

As I close, I reiterate that I am extremely proud to join with all of you on this historical occasion, in one of the greatest demonstrations of strengthening and improving our premiere national mental health care facility. Not since the state of the art Critical Care Block at the Princess Margaret Hospital was commissioned have we seen a dream and vision come to life where Bahamians can have access to the best treatment in the best environment; and it could not have been possible without all of you.

I, therefore, leave you with the words of Elyn R. Saks, Associate Dean and Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Gould Law School, who, himself, despite suffering from schizophrenia, has achieved personal and professional success. Professor Saks writes, "There's a tremendous need to implode the myths of mental illness to put a face on it, to show people that a diagnosis does not have to lead to a painful and oblique life...we who struggle with these disorders can lead full, happy, productive lives, if we have the right resources."

This Child and Adolescent, Robert Smith, Special Education Complex is one such resource – a resource designed and built by Bahamians for Bahamians that will improve the lives of so many children and young people now and in the decades to come.

I thank you for your dedication.

Source: Bahamas Information Services

 Sponsored Ads