By Omar Silva

Editor: National Perspective Bz DIGITAL 2024

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Belize City: Friday, 11th October 2024

As Belizeans mark another World Mental Health Day, the cry for action on mental health services grows louder—and yet, year after year, these cries seem to fall on deaf ears. The government’s continued inaction towards the burgeoning mental health crisis in our country is nothing short of alarming. While speeches, ceremonies, and policies are announced with great fanfare, the reality on the ground paints a bleak picture of neglect. The growing number of mentally ill individuals roaming our streets is a testament to this failure—a failure to provide them with the basic human dignity they deserve.

In 2023, the Ministry of Health & Wellness rolled out an updated National Mental Health Policy, partnered with international organizations such as PAHO and WHO. This policy was lauded as a step forward, designed to bring Belize closer to global standards in mental health care. Yet, despite these lofty promises, the government has shown little appetite for real change. One year later, in 2024, we find ourselves facing the same crisis, with no meaningful progress towards establishing an adequate psychiatric ward, much less equipping it with specialists, medicine, and modern facilities that can handle the increasing number of mental health patients.

The consequences of this inaction are dire. People suffering from severe mental health issues are often left to wander the streets, untreated and forgotten, while families struggle to care for loved ones with little to no support from the state. The absence of proper facilities and specialist care has resulted in a situation where those who need the most help, are being treated like outcasts—pushed to the fringes of society, out of sight, and out of mind.

This year, the Ministry’s focus on “mental health in the workplace” is commendable but ultimately insufficient. While we should all take steps to promote mental well-being in our offices and businesses, the focus on workplace mental health doesn’t even begin to address the foundational problems of our mental health system. Those with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and other serious conditions aren’t just in need of workplace counselling—they need proper psychiatric treatment, access to essential medications, and, most importantly, a functioning mental health care system that treats them with dignity.

We cannot afford to delay action any longer. The government’s failure to prioritize the mental health of its citizens is a betrayal of the most vulnerable among us. How many more people will suffer, untreated and unheard, before the state takes meaningful steps toward establishing a psychiatric ward, training and hiring certified psychiatrists, and providing the necessary pharmaceutical treatments?

The voices of mental health patients may not always be the loudest, but they are crying out for help. It is up to us, as a society, to ensure that their pleas are not ignored. We cannot allow the government to continue placing mental health on the back burner. It’s time to demand immediate action and accountability. Mental health is not a luxury; it is a basic human right.

Belize is at a critical juncture. The time for promises has long passed. The time for action is now. Our mental health system is in chaos, and unless the government takes concrete steps to address this crisis, the suffering will only grow. We cannot continue to let those in need languish without the care and support they deserve. The people of Belize, especially those living with mental illness, are not asking for charity—they are asking for dignity, respect, and the right to a life free from suffering.

Let us demand that the government of Belize take the necessary steps to provide comprehensive mental health care, starting with the establishment of a psychiatric ward staffed with specialists and fully equipped with the tools to treat mental illness effectively. The cries of the suffering cannot be silenced any longer.