Gov. Edduba bares plans on mental health care for yKalingas

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Various plans focused on mental health care of yKalingas were discussed on Monday, May 20 by Provincial Governor James Edduba, which he said are of importance to the people of the province.

The move to prioritize mental health care in the province was due to the recent spike in suicide cases, particularly during the first quarter of this year.

The province logged 16 suicide cases – five were attempted while six caused the demise of victims.

According to the provincial information office, 80 percent of said cases were male victims.

In an attempt to combat said issues, Governor Edduba said the provincial local government unit will work on crafting a provincial mental health program.

Municipal local government units and Tabuk City LGU will also be encouraged to make similar plans and allocate funds for its implementation.

Edduba likewise relayed the proposed transformation of the old Juan M. Duyan Memorial District Hospital into a mental health facility and rehabilitation center.

Alongside the improvement of the facility would be the hiring of therapists and psychologists to cater to patients needing mental health services.

Additionally, Edduba mentioned ongoing efforts to train health workers on mental health and on community-based action.

Some trainings were completed last month such as the training of medical doctors and some healthcare workers in handling mental health cases and the training for community leaders.

An invitation by the World Health Organization for the province of Kalinga to discuss mental health issues was likewise announced by the provincial governor.