Addressing Mental Health issues with Telepsychiatry in Mati City

Submitted By: Michellene P. Tadle

Mental health is essential for our overall well-being. The significance of tackling mental
health issues has been heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the economy.
Filipino children are experiencing drastic conditions that are affecting their mental health and
well-being.

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, the government of Mati, the capital of Davao
Oriental, has been prioritizing mental health. They operate a telepsychiatric facility for mentally
ill patients under the name of Acute Psychiatric Care Unit (APCU). The facility in Mati conducts
consultation once a week via teleconferencing in partnership with Institute of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Medicine. It was a great help to combat and address this mental health issue towards
the patients’ needs. The patients were given opportunity to continue their consultation or
treatment through telepsychiatry. In this case, the facility will take good care of those patient
who cannot afford to go private mental institutions. Apart from that, Mayor Michelle Rabat says
in the interview that there were people who were mentally ill roaming around the city; in that the
first thing she told to Dr. Catbagan is to set up for a facility that could cater those mentally ill
patients in their place.

In the Philippines we have the Philippine mental health act which for the purpose of
enhancing the delivery of integrated mental health services, promoting and protecting the rights
of persons utilizing psychiatric, neurologic and psychosocial health services, appropriating funds
therefor, and for other purposes. RA 11036 cements the government’s commitment to a more
holistic approach to healthcare: that there is no health without mental health. With this law,
Filipinos should not anymore suffer in silence. Mental health is as real as it can get, and it’s
about time we talk about it.

Hence, the City of Mati bridged the gap in mental health services particularly during the
lockdown, were mostly outnumbered patient. Apart from that their goal is to be sustainable;
giving them a fighting chance of life. Perhaps for me mental health needs a great deal of
attention. It’s the final taboo and needs to be faced and deal with.