Clinics for mental health services in North - Maithripala

The Health Ministry conducts 32 clinics, including seven main clinics, for indoor patients and 25 outreach clinics to provide mental health services for people in the Northern Province, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena told Parliament yesterday.

The minister said special steps have been taken to arrest suicides in the Northern Province.

"Facilities are available in wards to admit mental patients in each district in the Northern Province."

The minister said that 199 incidents were reported in 2008, 218 in 2009 and 239 in 2010 from the Northern Province. Sirisena responding to an oral question raised by TNA MP E Saravanapavan said the suicide rate for 2010 is 20 per 100,000. "Although this figure has slightly increased compared to 2009, there is a decrease when compared with the national data for 20 which is 2003."

He said that mental counselling is being conducted at every mental health clinic as well as in the field as special programmes.

"Volunteers have been trained to identify and refer needy individuals for counselling."