EU Finances “Community Mental Health Centers” to Support the Ministry of Health in Response to Syria Crisis
23/10/2020, Ankara
Official opening of the SIHHAT project’s Community Mental Health Centre in Izmir took place today thanks to joint efforts by the European Union and the Ministry of Health. The EU continues its support Turkey in response to Syria crisis, financing the establishment of 10 Community Mental Health Centres under SIHHAT project in Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, İstanbul (2), Kilis, Şanlıurfa, Mardin, İzmir and Bursa. Patients of both host community and refugees who are diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can benefit from CMHCs. In these centers, mental services that aim integration of the patients to the community, upskill them to reorganize their social skills, psycho-social development, occupational therapies such as music, gardening, handcrafts and sportive activities are delivered.
EU supported also these centers by procuring the furniture, occupational therapy materials, sports equipment, and consumables. In December 2020, one vehicle to each CMHC will be delivered to enable the transport of patients and outreach activities. Salaries of bilingual patient guides employed in the 10 CMHCs, rentals and running costs of centers are also financed by SIHHAT project with a total worth of 300 Million €.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, said on the occasion: "The majority of refugees are exposed to multiple traumas as a result of displacement. They are at high risk of psychiatric and psychological morbidity. In order to reintegrate them into the society and ensure their wellbeing, it is essential to reach them out and deliver the support they need. As for EU, the area of mental health is of great concern; therefore, we are glad that our support includes Community Mental Health Centers."
Background
The Facility for Refugees in Turkey:
The European Union has been supporting Turkey in response to the refugee crisis since 2011. Initial support was in the form of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). Other EU financial instruments for medium- and long-term support were added later, responding to the protracted nature of the crisis. In January 2016 this support was substantially scaled up with the entry into force of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey.
Through the Facility, €6 billion has been committed to assist both refugees and host communities in Turkey, by providing assistance in key areas such as education, health, infrastructure, migration management, socio-economic development and humanitarian assistance.
The EU support to Syrians and host communities in the health sector under the Facility for Refugees aim at improving the health-status of refugees by means of increasing availability and access to health care services in primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare levels as well as investments on infrastructure, employment, capacity building, and procurement of medical devices. Out of the EUR 6 billion Facility budget, the EU has supported the Turkish healthcare system through approximately EUR 700 million worth programmes to facilitate access to comprehensive and quality healthcare for all refugee population. The main implementing partner is the Ministry of Health, IFI-partners are implementing large scale infrastructure projects (hospitals). The main pillar of assistance in the area of health is the SIHHAT project, a EUR 300 million direct grant with the Turkish Ministry of Health, which supports the MoH in its efforts to provide free and equitable access to health care to refugees
Uniqueness of SIHHAT project is that the Syrian doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers are employed in Migrant Health Centers, serving to refugees without language and cultural barriers. The project employed more than 3400 Syrian originated healthcare personnel in the Migrant Health Centers to provide primary healthcare services in Arabic ensuring "right to health" for SuTP, "right to work" and "provider rights" for Syrian healthcare workers.
With SIHHAT project 178 Migrant Health Centres in 29 provinces and 10 Community Mental health centers have been established. 3.436 pieces of medical devices and 163 microscopes have been supplied for 113 secondary healthcare facilities, 5 cancer screening vehicles have been activated for screening and an immunization programme had been implemented. More number medical equipment to hospitals, 430 ambulances and 102 healthcare vehicles are to be delivered by the end of November 2020.
For more information please contact:
Ozge Akyol-Faria - Programme Manager, Facility for Refugees in Turkey
ozge.akyol-faria@eeas.europa.eu / T +90 312 459 87 00
For press inquiries:
Miray Akdağ - Press Officer for the Delegation of the European Union in Turkey
M +90 532 624 93 56 / T +90 312 459 88 77