Mater Dei Hospital’s psychiatric unit will reopen in “the coming weeks”, once new wards in the administration blocks are completed and can accept patients, the health Minister said on Tuesday.
Speaking after the launch of Malta’s first national suicide prevention strategy, Jo Etienne Abela was asked for an update on the planned psychiatric hospital at Mater Dei.
The construction of an acute psychiatric centre within Mater Dei Hospital is one of the measures in the new national suicide prevention strategy. Another measure also includes developing a fast-track referral process for individuals at high risk of suicide or those who have recently attempted suicide.
Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela on Mater Dei psychiatric ward. Video: Jonathan Borg
In 2024, the minister announced plans to close Mount Carmel Hospital within the coming years and to construct a state-of-the-art, 128-bed acute psychiatric unit at Mater Dei Hospital.
Abela said the construction of new wards in the hospital’s administration block was nearing completion and would accept new patients “in the coming weeks… As soon as this ward is in place”.
“This will be the precursor to the new psychiatric unit that will be built.”
‘Detailed’ national suicide prevention strategy
The minister unveiled the country’s first national suicide prevention strategy Tuesday, which focuses on promoting mental health and building a more resilient and empathetic society.
He explained how the strategy, which will run until 2031 and cost €2.08 million, builds on the mental health strategy framework and was representative of the government’s commitment to prioritising mental health.
When asked about measures included in the strategy, Abela said the strategy was very “detailed” and comprehensive.
Measures include improving emergency services and adding more barriers and phone helplines at suicide hotspots, as well as increased collaboration with NGOs, local councils and others in the community.
The development of community services offering mental health support for the LGBTIQ+ community is also included in the strategy.
Abela said that while Malta registers one of the lowest suicide mortality rates in Europe, every life lost to suicide is a tragedy.
“As a society, we have a collective responsibility to take care of one another,” he said.
“We need to design a health care workforce that is more modern and able to deal with every eventuality. Our society is changing, and we need to focus on our at-risk categories.”
“The demographic of our country is changing, and these changes bring new implications for our mental health care. We need a holistic approach to how we address preventing suicide.”