Dear Editor,

Kindly grant me an opportunity to express deep appreciation to the staff at Percy Junor Hospital (PJH) for the high-quality treatment rendered to the mentally ill patients placed in their care.

Just recently one of my friends and colleague mental health patient was hospitalised as a result of burns he received from fire at his dilapidated dwelling. My friend has been receiving the highest standard of health care, and I want to commend the staff at the hospital.

On behalf of all the mentally ill patients at PJH, the people of Jamaica, and humanity in general, I want to salute the team at PJH and express publicly how happy I am to see the transformation of service delivery towards this community.

I could not be prouder to witness first-hand the respect and protection of my friend’s human dignity. This is a great sign for mental health services and psychiatric care in Jamaica. To put the icing on the cake, I recently learnt that there is a significant improvement in the supplies of atypical anti-psychotic medications at the public’s pharmacies.

Noted psychiatrist, the late Dr Frederick “Freddie” Hickling would be proud to witness this kind of revolutionary change in treatment options and attitudes among health-care providers towards mental health treatment.

I must hasten to add as a mental health patient and advocate that while we celebrate the improvements made we must not lose focus of the giant work that lies ahead. We have a long way to go before we can tame the monsters of stigma, prejudice, and discrimination within the population of the mentally ill.

Once again, I say thank you, PJH, for the exemplary services you provide for the community of the mentally ill in Jamaican. “Respect due!”

The word is always love.

Andre’ A O Wellington

Mental health patient and advocate

andrewellington344@yahoo.com