Participants at the “Right to Psychotherapy-Assessment & Investigation" forum, called for drawing up a national strategy and issuing a range of legislations to enhance the levels of the psychiatric services provided in Qatar and other Arab countries.
“There is a need to fill up the legislations gap related to the protection of psychiatric patients rights,” Dr Mohamed Fouad, a legal adviser at the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), said while releasing the final communiqué issued by the participants at the forum organised by NHRC and held at the Sharq Village and Spa.
The participants have stressed the necessity of conducting further scientific researches and studies on the situation of the psychiatric and mental problems, which they said, should be part of the national strategy.
The participants stressed the significance of the creation of launching awareness programme on the special needs of those suffering from psychiatric problems. “The community should be fully aware about the rights of the psychiatric patients and learn how to deal with them and respect their dignity,” the communiqué said.
They called for ending all forms of psychiatric problems related to stigma, discrimination and negative attitudes.
They also maintained that civil society should play a pivotal role in improving the psychiatric services and protecting the rights of patients suffering from psychiatric and mental problems.
They also called for the formation of a committee to follow up the implementation of the recommendations by discussing them with the decision-makers as well as paying field visits to the local psychiatric units.
The committee should contain representatives from the supreme council for family affairs, Hamad medical corporation, National Health Authority, the Supreme Education Council, Qatar University, the General Youth Authority and the NHRC.
The 2-day forum organized by NHRC at Sharq Hotel in Doha, Qatar which opened (Tuesday, 4th September 2007) came in the context of growing international awareness of human rights related issues and in full conformity with NHRC objectives- one of which is to work with regional and international human rights organizations so as to raise awareness of human rights in society