Under the theme “Panic Disorders”, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) recently organized an awareness campaign to enhance medical awareness about the causes of this type of disorders, educate physicians and healthcare providers on means of identifying panic disorders and how to handle it in a correct way, and to develop the panic-disorders-related medical practices to achieve the social and psychological empowerment.
The campaign is part of several activities and events organized by MoHAP in conjunction with World Mental Health Day which falls on October 10 every year.
The event included holding two workshops and training in panic disorders at targeted number of MOHAP’s hospitals, including Al Qassimi Hospital Sharjah and Obaidullah Elderly Hospital Ras Al Khaimah. Presented by the psychological consultant Dr. Ahmed Al-Shafei, the workshops targeted the medical staff including doctors, nurses and care providers in the emergency unit and aimed to raise awareness on the importance of mental health and the necessity of integrating it with public health.
Mental Health Services Are Integrated and Responsive to the Community Needs
“The World Mental Health Day is an appropriate opportunity to launch awareness campaigns on mental disorders and its reasons, and the significance of early detection and treatment. Its’ also an important occasion to highlight MoHAP’s efforts to develop and enhance community-oriented comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health services, through the implementation of the National Mental Health Program,” said H.E. Dr. Youssif Al Serkal, Assistant Undersecretary for the Ministry’s Hospitals Sector.
Al Serkal underlined that MoHAP pays great attention to the mental health by providing comprehensive mental services (preventive, curative and rehabilitative) at all healthcare levels, fostering mental disorders prevention and early detection programs, conducting mental health researches through diagnostic surveys for common mental disorders, building effective partnerships with relevant international organization, changing the stereotypes associated with people with mental illnesses and providing rehabilitative programs helping them to integrate into society.
Training on Panic-Disorders-Related Medical Services
“The panic disorders workshops shed light on introducing the diagnostic methods of panic disorders and qualifying emergency doctors on the difference between panic disorders symptoms and similar physical symptoms, especially those related to heart disease,” said Dr. Mona Al Kuwari, Director of the Specialized Care Department.
She went on saying: “The training workshops discussed panic causes and its associated Neurotransmitter disorders, in addition to the importance of the drug therapy. Also, participants reviewed the assessment stages of patients with panic disorders, according to the latest British guidelines, as well as training doctors on the severity of the panic disorder and how to apply it to diagnose cases.