Steering committee for mental heathcare issues useful: Halimah Yacob

SINGAPORE — A steering committee for mental healthcare related issues will be useful, said Singapore’s Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob at the Singapore Mental Health Conference today (Sept 26).

This would be a handy feedback mechanism for policy makers, especially as Singapore strives to move from centralised to community-based care for people with mental illnesses.

“I think that it is useful that you have a committee where you can get feedback, suggestions (and) help people on the ground who are actually experiencing on a daily basis some of these issues. They can identify the gaps and inform ... (And) help to connect the dots so that the community service ... is holistic and complete,” said Madam Halimah, who is a mental healthcare advocate herself.

She added that other challenges to address include job discrimination associated with the stigma of mental health, and in ensuring mental healthcare continues to stay affordable.

The two-day conference will see some 300 local and international mental healthcare professionals and community service providers come together to discuss a range of issues on mental health. CHANNEL NEWSASIA