The regional hub was set up with a $1 million donation from the Musim Mas group.
SINGAPORE - In Zimbabwe, which has less than 20 psychiatrists serving a population of 15 million, an initiative that started with senior volunteers offering mental health help in the community has been replicated in other African countries and elsewhere, including New York.
The Friendship Bench initiative was founded in 2006 by Dr Dixon Chibanda, a Zimbabwe-based psychiatrist, after one of his patients died by suicide because her family could not afford the bus fare to travel to Harare, the capital city, to see him. Musim Mas donated $1m to the Singapore General Hospital for developing future healthcare leaders through a regional fellowship programme as well as the establishment of MHIN Asia.
“But having said that, we are aware that mental health is a growing concern in the region and deserves more support,” said Mr Alvin Lim, Musim Mas’ chief financial officer and executive director. “This Friendship Bench is one of the many examples where we call task shifting. We shift the task of what is typically the responsibility of trained healthcare professionals to a group of people that are trained especially for their particular class, but effective in many ways,” he said.There are other mental health initiatives that MHIN Asia can share, including those in regional countries.
Prof Tan said the hub will not just curate existing knowledge, but is willing to invest in research to create new knowledge, too.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
National strategy needed to prevent suicides: Singapore mental health advocacy groupThe White Paper was launched by community-based group SG Mental Health Matters.
Read more »
More Singapore PRs join Mrs Singapore World 2024One can converse fluently in Teochew and Hokkien and uses Singlish at hawker centres, while another observes traditions of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Foreign-born wives taking part in Mrs Singapore World 2024 say Singapore is more than just a place where they live – their...
Read more »
National monuments of Singapore: Singapore River bridgesWhat is a National Monument? Who gazettes them? How many national monuments are there in Singapore? To date, the Preservation of Sites and Monuments, a division of National Heritage Board, has identified and gazetted 75 buildings, structures and sites of national significance as an integral part of Singapore's built heritage.
Read more »
Singapore to build Changi’s Terminal 5 in 2025, solidifying Singapore as global hubThe Terminal 5 airport will allow another 50 million passengers a year once fully operational in the mid-2030s
Read more »
Over 60% of Singapore workers are experiencing burnout, according to new surveyOver 60% of Singapore workers are experiencing burnout, according to new survey » Home News » Singapore News
Read more »
Singapore stocks fell on Friday—STI slipped by 0.1%Singapore stocks fell on Friday—STI slipped by 0.1% » SG Economy » Singapore News
Read more »