PM Harris appeared on the Voices radio programme on Tuesday
The Mental Health Day Treatment Center is expected to be fully operational in April 2017, after a number of security upgrades are completed.
On Tuesday (March 14), Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, updated listeners of the Winn FM “Voices” radio programme on the subject and said that there were a few projects to be completed after the soft opening in December 2016.
“The workmen are still at work, dealing with issues related to panic buttons and a buzzer system,” Dr. Harris noted. Surveillance cameras and other security systems have already been installed but the added measures will help to better protect the doctors, staff and patients at the facility.
A search for another psychiatrist, who would be available during the course of the year, is also being conducted, but the extra time has allowed officials an opportunity to enrich the treatment designed for patients.
“We have already engaged the relevant stakeholders to deliver occupational therapy skills and soft skills training to provide agriculture and handicraft production on the compound there,” said the prime minister. “And we have not forgotten that the spirit also needs to be taken care of and so they have already finalized with some churches to go there and to deal with issues which require spiritual counselling.”
The Mental Health Day Treatment Center, which is the first of its kind in St. Kitts and Nevis, is a 3,000 square foot facility situated on one acre of land at Lime Kiln Commercial Development.
Inside the structure, there is a public zone and an authorized client private zone. The public area features a psychologist occupational therapy office, an open occupational therapy room, a lounge/waiting area, a group counselling room, and office space for nurses, a doctor and social worker. The private section features separate restrooms for staff and clients, gender specific sanitization and strong rooms, storage room, staff kitchenette, client kitchen and dining rooms, a laundry room and janitorial closet.
Prime Minister Harris promised that by the end of the year, the center will have modern systems and operated in keeping with standards set by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).