Mental Health in Colombia: a Cause for Concern
Translated by Hernando Ayala (hdoayala@tutopia.com) from Digital Press Agency (DISNET), Bogota, 16 April 2001, I Number 241
Ninety thousand Colombians searched for help in only ten state hospitals of the country during year 2000. Following is a statistical summary of their journey. Following information from Ministry of Health's Press Service.
Schizophrenic psychosis, affective psychosis, neurotic dysfunctions, depressive dysfunctions, dysfunctions of anxiety, epilepsy and syndrome of psychoactive substance dependence are the principal causes of consultation visits concerning mental health in Colombia.
The growing problems were illustrated by a statistical report presented during the recently concluded Mental Health National Forum. Information presented indicated serious areas of concern for the public servants responsible for administration in this field and also for local and territorial authorities.
The statistical journey presented on 6 April reveals that during year 2000, mental dysfunctions became one of the leading problems of public health in the 10 mental hospitals of state type existing in this country. In accordance with these institutions' report, the number of external consultations in just one year was 88,903, while the hospital expenditures (that is to say, concerning hospitalized patients) were 13.573.
The Hospital San Camilo, in Bucaramanga, had 18.832 external consultations and 2.170 hospital expenditures; the Rehabilitación Center Carisma of Antioquia, 2.028 external consultations and 534 hospital expenditures; the Rehabilitation Center of Boyacá, 2.478 external consultations and 418 hospital expenditures; the Mental Hospital of Risaralda, 8.026 external consultations and 994 hospital expenditures; the Mental Hospital of Antioquia, 7.626 external consultations and 2.702 hospital expenditures.
In the same way, the Mental Hospital in Filandia (Quindío), registered 3.092 external consultations and 624 hospital expenditures; the Centro de Rehabilitacion Integral CARI in Barranquilla, 20.234 external consultations and 782 hospital expenditures; the Specialized Hospital Granja Integral in Lérida (Tolima), 2.810 external consultations and 738 hospital expenditures; the Hospital San Isidro in Cali, 19.286 external consultations and 3.377 hospital expenditures and the Hospital Rudesindo Soto in Cúcuta, 4.437 external consultations and 1.234 hospital expenditures.
The Ministry of Health insisted on disclosing budget figures for the attention and psychosocial rehabilitation of mental patients who commit crimes but, due to their situation, don't understand their significance. The Ministry of Health set $3.924 million pesos aside for treatment in 2001. With these resources, the benefit of services of health is guaranteed to 242 of these people and coverage is expanded to another 12.
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