Situated in the centre of the town of Cimislia, the new Community Mental Health Centre is hosted by the local Family Medicine Centre neighbouring the District General Hospital. The personnel of the Mental Health Centre is composed from two psychiatrists, a psychotherapist, three medical assistants, a psychologist and an occupational therapist. Three rooms are designed for consultations and one for the multidisciplinary team. A separate entrance into the Centre assures patients’ privacy. Adults have their appointments in the morning, while children and adolescents come over after their school classes.
Alexandru Ciobanu, psychotherapist, coordinator of the Mental Health Centre in Cimislia says that the Centre has already more than 2000 registered beneficiaries, out of which 15 percent with severe mental disorders. “The Centre has been operating for a year during which we have managed to prevent many acute conditions and hence many traumatizing hospitalization experiences. Beneficiaries are able to visit us daily; if necessary, they are visited by the multidisciplinary team at home. Indeed, our patients have now better chances to get well. After rehabilitation, many of them take up their studies and jobs”, Ciobanu noted.
Referring to the new approach piloted in Cimislia, Jana Chihai, university professor and project senior advisor, said during the launching event that the Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) methodology had proven effectiveness in such countries as the Great Britain, the Netherlands and the USA. ”It means providing integrated healthcare services at primary and hospital assistance levels, where the central role is played by multidisciplinary teams, families and communities. More than that, collaboration among specialists from health, social and education sectors is vital for securing rehabilitation and social inclusion of patients”
Valeriu Sava, national coordinator of SDC Health Programme, noted: “Through the implementation of the new methodologies, both discrimination and stigmatization of persons with mental health problems are avoided. All conditions are there for ensuring easy and better access to the necessary assistance and support.”
“The prospective vision of the Ministry of Health is to create a system of mental health services that is flexible and meets beneficiaries’ needs. The nationwide development of community mental health services will ensure timely and efficient interventions and effective integration of people with mental health conditions into society. As importantly, this will reduce significantly the costs of the health system,” stated Valentina Rotaru, vice minister of Health.
The project “Support to the Reform of Mental Health Services in Moldova”, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC and implemented by an international consortium led by the Institute for Mental Health and Addictions “Trimbos”, Netherlands, supports the Ministry of Health of Moldova in the process of implementation of mental health system reforms in the Republic of Moldova. The first phase of the project lasts four years, until 2018, and has a budget of CHF 6 million.
