By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday there are concerns about a spike in mental health issues among residents on the islands devastated by Hurricane Joaquin, which hit the southern islands last month.

Dr Gomez said with this concern in mind, officials have divided a dozen psychologists and nine psychiatrists to San Salvador, Rum Cay, Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Island to assist residents with pre-existing mental health issues and persons who are showing signs of acute stress disorders and other conditions.

He told The Tribune that their concern and proactive approach was evident in the number of mental health professionals that the ministry made available to the Family Islands after the hurricane’s passage.

However, Rochelle Basden, clinical psychologist at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, said it could take three to six months before officials can diagnose residents with mental conditions if they show symptoms.

She was a part of a group of first responders to arrive in Long Island as soon as the all clear was given following the category four storm.

Ms Basden and several other health professionals gave updates during a press conference at the Ministry of Health on Meeting Street yesterday on their work in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin.

“It was quite the emotional experience for myself as well as other members of the team,” she said.

“We also went down with a list actually of persons with pre-existing mental health issues and so we tried to see some of them. Not all of them because it was a short period of time with a lot of ground to cover with a lot of people to try to make connections with. We left a psychiatrist on one of those days at the Simms (Long Island) clinic so I think she was able to see some persons that might have been from that list as well as some others with acute symptoms at that time.”

She added: “Now it is not typical to label persons who experience acute stress reactions following natural disasters as having a specific name of a mental health condition because really what they are experiencing at that time is normal given what they just went through. So we delay that period for anywhere from three to six months but it is important to note that there are vulnerable people and there are some people who are more vulnerable than others. There are people who would have had more severe circumstances that they would have had to endure so coping skills being what they are, some people are better able to handle situations better than others. For some people the symptoms surface later.

“So we recognise full well that there is a need to return to do a follow-up and some extent an intervention,” Ms Basden said.

Dr Gomez also said a total of 649 patients have been seen in the affected islands for various health conditions typical and related to a natural disaster. The conditions included nail sticks, lacerations and abrasions, dog bites, high blood pressure checks and replacement of medications and diabetes management among other conditions.

Twenty-three patients from the Family Islands visited the Princess Margaret Hospital and polyclinics in New Providence.

“I am pleased to inform the Bahamian people that persons seeking care in Long Island, Acklins, San Salvador, Crooked Island and Rum Cay have access to medication and safe vaccines. Further, request for additional supplies are being packaged and shipped immediately or within 48 hours of the request.

“It is important, however, to advise the public that medical and pharmaceutical supplies being donated should first be reviewed and examined by the Ministry of Health for safety reasons,” Dr Gomez said.

Hurricane Joaquin devastated parts of the central and southern Bahamas on October 1 and 2.