The Ministry of Health is set to develop a new facility at St Giles Psychiatric Hospital to enhance mental health services. During a presentation on the hospital’s renovations in Parliament, Health Minister Doctor Ratu Atonio Lalavabalavu announced that the facility will offer specialized services including addiction psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and telepsychiatry.
The minister indicated that the ministry is seeking partnerships and support from donor organizations to help establish this new facility, which is intended to incorporate advanced treatment options to improve mental health care in the country.
The proposed facility aims to expand the hospital’s capabilities into various specialties such as addiction psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and geriatric psychiatry. It will also provide specialized services including group therapy, psychodrama, lithium level testing, recurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), along with telepsychiatry.
Dr. Lalavabalavu noted that earlier this year, the ministry constructed a new security fence behind the men’s ward to enhance the safety of the facility. Recent renovations have been completed in the women’s ward, Moala ward, and administrative building.
In addition to these updates, significant improvements such as the tar sealing of roads and renovation of the hospital’s car park—costing over $235,000—have been carried out. He emphasized that the roads had been in disrepair for several years, causing discomfort and damage to vehicles and affecting the staff’s experience at the hospital.
Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 financial year, the ministry has received funding for additional repairs and renovation work at the hospital.