Government to hire 100 psychologists for primary health care

Health Minister Ana Paula Martins announced this Wednesday the hiring of about 100 psychologists to provide primary health care and the creation of a mental health program for security forces and justice officials.

These measures are part of the Health Emergency and Transformation Plan, presented this Wednesday at a press conference following the Council of Ministers, based on five areas, one of which is mental health.

The plan calls for the retraining of emergency mental health services in terms of facilities and equipment, as well as strengthening cooperation with private institutions for social solidarity (IPSS) in the placement of hospitalized patients in chronic situations.

“We are going to create a very important program, a kind of “green line” for security forces and representatives of justice. We know that there are many problems in this area, and we want to be on the side of our authorities,” Ana said. Paula Martins added that the program is carried out “in close cooperation” with the ministries of the interior and justice.

Another planned measure is the deinstitutionalization of chronic mental illness, he said, explaining that these are patients who “have great difficulty returning home or for further care due to mental health problems and who need special support.”

“Also in this case, we are strengthening the partnership with the social sector to be able” to respond to these people because, he said, “there are not many institutions in Portugal that have the conditions” to welcome them.

Introducing the document, Ana Paula Martins noted that the annual prevalence of mental disorders in the Portuguese population is 22.9%, noting that the population with chronic depression in Portugal is 12.2%, while the European Union average is 7.2% .

The emergency health plan was one of the Democratic Alliance’s (AD) election promises in the March elections, which was subsequently included in the government programme, with the prime minister guaranteeing it would be delivered in the first 60 days of his executive term. .

The program is organized around five priority strategic areas and aims to streamline access to health care, provide care to patients within clinically recommended time frames, create a safe environment for childbirth, strengthen emergency services, address problems with access to primary health care and ensure access to qualified psychiatric care. services.

For each area, the plan provides for urgent measures that must be implemented immediately in order to obtain results within a period of up to three months; priority planned to achieve results by the end of the year; and structuring with medium- and long-term planning and application.