In time for the celebration of National Mental Health Week, the Department of Health (DOH), led by Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) chief Dr. Evelyn Victoria Reside launched the Psychiatry Ward and Complex and the 36th Bagong Urgent Care Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) Center.
“I am committed to making mental health a key priority as aligned with one of the Health Sector’s 8-Point Action Agenda — Ginhawa ng Isip at Damdamin. We are working to improve mental health services, expand access to care, and promote overall well-being for all Filipinos,” Herbosa said.
DOH said the inauguration of the QMMC Psychiatry Ward and Complex reflects the department’s dedication to enhancing mental health services since the enactment of the Mental Health Act in 2017.
The Mental Health Act provides that the state affirms the basic right of all Filipinos to mental health as well as the fundamental rights of people who require mental health services. It also states that people with mental health conditions will receive timely, affordable, high-quality, and culturally appropriate treatment.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire and other officials from QMMC, the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), and the San Miguel Foundation were present in the QMMC Psychiatry Ward and Complex and BUCAS Center.
