The Government has doubled its budget to address the mental health needs of the population, and its goal is to have 300 community centers nationwide, as many people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and suffer from some type of mental disorder,
President Martin Vizcarra said on Wednesday.
"It was necessary to increase the number of community mental health centers. In 2017, before taking office, there were only 31 community mental health centers in Peru," the Head of State explained.
"This number has increased five times to 155. However, they are still insufficient. We need to double the figure next year to 300 centers all over the country," he added.
According to the Peruvian leader, there is a lot to do in this regard, which is why the Government has doubled the budget for mental health from S/221 million (around US$61.4 million) to S/551 million (around US$153.2 million).
In fact, in the context of the COVID-19 emergency, a urgency decree was issued to allocate resources to all regions in a bid to implement 50 community mental health centers, 6 health inpatient units, and 35 protected homes.
He went on to say that, many times, mental disorders are not easily spotted, but can affect people's health just as much as physical ailments, which is why mental health must be properly addressed.
(END) NDP/RMCH/RMB
Published: 10/14/2020