Dina Johnny (Dubai)
The Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs signed a partnership agreement with the Federal Youth Foundation, to consolidate cooperation in the development and implementation of a series of initiatives and projects aimed at consolidating political and development awareness among young people, enhancing their contribution to parliamentary work, and employing their proposals and visions and benefiting from them in setting future and development plans.
Tariq Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, said in a statement to Al-Ittihad: We are working on developing an action plan with a timetable, initiatives and indicators to evaluate performance in spreading a culture of political participation for youth. He pointed out that the ministry aims to raise the percentage of political participation of young people, which reached 35% in the previous session of the National Council elections, noting that the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the Federal Youth Authority contributes to achieving the goal with high efficiency.
He said that the ministry had previously held a youth seminar related to strengthening the political participation of young people, in cooperation with universities and with various federal agencies, and following good and tangible results were monitored, in addition to the institution’s awareness of the importance of the field of political participation, the Federal Youth Authority showed great interest. With this strategic objective of the Ministry of National Council Affairs, following which it was decided to form a working group and develop an action plan with clear initiatives and performance indicators.
He pointed out that the UAE always seeks to make the applied indicators competitive globally, as well as with regard to political participation, noting that the voting and candidacy of young people is important, and the general turnout is important for the success of any electoral process.
The partnership announcement was witnessed by Her Excellency Shamma Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Tariq Hilal Lootah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, Saeed Al Nazari, Director General of the Federal Youth Authority, and Sami Muhammad bin Uday, Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, In addition to a number of directors of departments and officials of both parties.
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Federal National Council
NBK calls for a balanced distribution of mental health services
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Abu Dhabi: Salam Abu Shehab
Members of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council called for the need for a balanced distribution of mental health services in all regions of the country, to facilitate patient access to them. Explaining that some regions and cities do not have mental health services.
And they said in a parliamentary report, of which Gulf News obtained a copy: that the members of the committee reached this conclusion, during the preparation of a report on the policy of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, on mental health, as they conducted 5 field visits to government hospitals, in addition to the committee’s meetings with representatives of government sectors. And the local and local seminars, and the panel discussion they held, to get acquainted with the level of services provided in mental health, and the level of care provided to patients.
Naama Al-Sharhan, the second deputy chairman of the council, chairperson of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, said: There are great efforts, appreciated and thankful for what we observed during our field visit and the outcomes of the meetings that took place, the field visits and the discussion panel. To build communities and families, a discrepancy was observed in the type of services provided to psychiatric patients in health institutions, which led to some patients not benefiting from psychological treatment services, and increasing pressure on mental health units in hospitals. And the psychological factor has emerged significantly following the “Corona” pandemic. She pointed out that there are specialized facilities for the treatment of mental illnesses in some emirates, while there are no units in other emirates. Demanding the need to work to reach an equation of health services provided to mental patients, inquiring regarding the efforts and initiatives developed by the Ministry to achieve parity between health authorities concerned with mental health services.
Somaya Al-Suwaidi said: Through our visits to a number of government hospitals, we found many achievements that we are proud of in mental health, but there are some challenges that we need to stand at. During the field visits, we noticed the lack of a balanced distribution of mental health services in all regions of the country, and there is a shortage in psychiatric departments and clinics, which has led to some patients not benefiting from psychological treatment services, as well as the challenge of closing child psychiatric clinics in some hospitals, due to the lack of specialists.
She said: We hope in the next stage to see many achievements in expanding mental health in all emirates of the country. She stressed the importance of having a psychiatrist in every health center, to whom the situation was referred, before cases escalated through health centers, to solve many mental health challenges.
Shatha Al-Naqbi said: Through the committee’s discussion of the axis of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, in expanding the scope of comprehensive and integrated mental health services, and promoting the prevention of mental disorders for members of society, the committee noticed a disparity in the distribution of health services, but we have a number of treatment centers, which were not distributed well. between the emirates. There is an increase and pressure on mental health units in hospitals, and a lack of health services in other hospitals.
Representatives of the Ministry and the Emirates Foundation for Health Services said: With regard to the establishment of specialized centers and units, there is more than one school, more than one mechanism, and more than one method, and the work of the Foundation remains restricted to certain frameworks through which it tries to provide the best service within the available framework. The Ministry and the Foundation are seeking to reach the service owner, and this was one of the challenges we faced at the time of the pandemic, and we provided a help line “Speak to hear you”, in addition to the telemedicine service. The Foundation has also placed mental health at the top of its priorities, and seeks to provide a comprehensive and integrated system, provided in a sustainable healthy environment, and for the largest number of customers to benefit from these services.
Report monitors the shortage of mental health doctors and the high cost of treatment
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Abu Dhabi: Salam Abu Shehab
The report of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council on the subject of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection’s policy on promoting mental health, which the Council is discussing at its 9 p.m. session on Tuesday at the Council’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, monitored the shortage of specialized cadres in the fields of mental health and their inadequacy for the increasing number of mental patients, and the disparity Distribution of mental health services at the level of health facilities in the country, which led to some patients not benefiting from psychological treatment services, and increasing pressure on mental health units in other hospitals.
Among the observations and conclusions reached by the committee, Naama Al-Sharhan, the Second Vice-President of the Federal National Council and Chairperson of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee in the Council, said that it is difficult to diagnose children’s mental disorders, due to the lack of psychiatric clinics designated for them, and the lack of coverage by most health insurance companies for treatment services. psychological diseases; This led to patients and their families bearing the high cost, in addition to some stopping to complete treatment, and the lack of programs for psychosocial care and rehabilitation for psychiatric patients, following up on their condition during and following treatment, and the absence of programs related to community mental health services such as: preventive awareness programs, care and home support services, and rehabilitation. Community rehabilitation following the stage of psychotherapy.
She explained that the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee discussed the policy of the Ministry of Health and Community Protection in the matter of promoting mental health in the United Arab Emirates within three main axes: The first axis: the Ministry’s policy and strategic plans in developing policies and legislation in mental health, and the second axis: The Ministry’s role in Strengthening and expanding the scope of comprehensive and integrated mental health services, promoting the prevention of mental disorders for members of the community, and the third axis: the Ministry’s role in cooperating with the concerned authorities to implement the mental health promotion policy and the services provided.
She indicated that the committee met (13) meetings to study the subject, where the committee met with representatives of the governmental and local health sectors to learn regarding the services provided in the field of mental health and the challenges they face in this regard, and the mechanisms for coordination and cooperation with the health authorities concerned with providing mental health services, and also held The committee has a virtual seminar entitled (Promoting mental health in the country) with the aim of identifying the most important challenges in the field of mental health promotion, whether at the level of services for mental patients or mental health workers, in addition to identifying the extent of community awareness of these services. 6 field visits, including (5) field visits to government hospitals, to learn regarding the level of services provided in the field of mental health and the level of health care provided to patients in terms of treatment and rehabilitation.
Saqr Ghobash and the Speaker of the Mozambican Parliament discuss strengthening parliamentary relations
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Abu Dhabi: «The Gulf»
Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council, received, at the Council’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, Esperanza Lorenda Bias, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Mozambique, on the sidelines of her participation in the work of the ninth session of the “International Parliament for Tolerance and Peace”, which was held at the headquarters of the National Council.
The meeting discussed strengthening parliamentary cooperation relations between the two sides by exchanging visits and enhancing coordination and consultation on various issues of common interest, especially supporting the two countries’ relations.
Ghobash stressed the depth of the relations of the two friendly countries and peoples, wishing the Republic of Mozambique and its friendly people continued progress, development and stability. Pointing to the council’s keenness to keep pace with the state’s trends and vision on various issues, foremost of which is the promotion of peace, security and stability for the peoples of the region and the world.
He said that the policy of the UAE is working to build bridges of friendship and expand cooperation with all countries of the world, and exchange dialogue and understanding on the basis of tolerance and renounce differences of any nature, and follow the approach of tolerance and coexistence, and provide diplomacy and peaceful solutions to resolve conflicts, over any other accounts.
He pointed out that the UAE is keen to support the Republic of Mozambique in various areas of development, in light of the keenness of the leaderships of the two countries to develop various aspects of cooperation.
Bias expressed her appreciation for the positive positions of the UAE in various international issues, and its efforts that contribute positively to achieving international stability. And its support for the Republic of Mozambique, and the provision of various forms of support.
An invitation was extended to Saqr Ghobash, to visit the Republic of Mozambique, at the head of the council delegation, to continue discussing various issues of common interest.