Long-Term Patients Leave Mount Carmel Hospital For ‘State-Of-The-Art’ Facility In Paola
28 long-term psychiatric patients were relocated from Mount Carmel Hospital to Casal Nuovo in Paola over the last ten days, Health Minister Chris Fearne tweeted this morning. The official inauguration of the 50-bed-facility will take place tomorrow morning.
Mount Carmel Hospital has been heavily criticised over the years, a sentiment that was revived in January of this year after a patient (the author of this piece) wrote an eye-opening account on her experience inside the hospital.
In 2018, Fearne made promises of a new mental health hospital to open near Mater Dei Hospital by 2025. Until now, no solution was announced for the patients currently staying in Mount Carmel Hospital.
As part of the 2020-2030 National #MentalHealth Strategy 🇲🇹 over the last 10 days 28 long term patients were relocated from Mount Carmel Hospital to the new state-of-the-art, 50 bed facility at Casal Nuovo in Paola. Will have the pleasure to officially inaugurate tomorrow morning pic.twitter.com/zhSWy5H58t
— Chris Fearne (@chrisfearne) June 9, 2021
The Maltese Association of Psychiatry called for a temporary mental health hospital for patients currently residing in Mount Carmel Hospital, which they deemed unfit for purpose.
The transfer of these long-term patients to a new, “state-of-the-art” facility in Paola is the first attempt to accommodate current mental health patients.
The relocation of mental health patients is part of Malta’s 2020-2030 National Mental Health Strategy Flag, which aims to renew the mental health system and place the treatment of mental illness at the heart of the health policy agenda.
Do you think this is a good step towards better mental health care?
READ NEXT: Bormla To Get An ‘Adventure Park’ With Zip Lines, Archery Range And Water Attractions
