Graduation of the First Batch of the Psychiatry Fellowship Program

The Emirates Health Services Corporation announced today the graduation of the first batch of the "Train the Trainers" Fellowship Program in Primary Care Psychiatry, organized in collaboration with the University of California, Irvine. This marks a significant step in its efforts to promote the integration of mental health into the primary healthcare system, ensuring the provision of comprehensive health services to community members and facilitating their access to them, in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Quality of Life 2031.

Dr. Essam Al Zarouni, Acting Executive Director of the Medical Services Sector at the Emirates Health Services Corporation, emphasized that organizing this program reflects the corporation's unwavering commitment to enhancing mental health services by integrating them into the primary healthcare environment. This is in line with the objectives of the National Mental Health Policy, which aims to establish a multi-sectoral national framework for developing these services according to the best international standards. He expressed his hope that the program will expand its scope to ensure the sustainability of these efforts and enhance quality of life in the community.

Dr. Nour Al Muhairi, Director of the Mental Health Department at the Foundation, said that the program represents a qualitative step towards improving integration between mental health services and primary care. She highlighted its role in building sustainable capacities for the future by enabling graduates to train other doctors, enabling patients to receive psychological support at an early stage. This contributes to improving treatment outcomes and enhancing the psychological well-being of society as a whole.

The "Training of Trainers" program aims to equip primary healthcare physicians with the skills necessary to provide early interventions, reduce the stigma associated with mental disorders, and enhance health services provided to patients in primary healthcare centers by providing faster and more efficient access to psychological support. It also aims to improve prevention and early detection of common disorders to achieve better long-term treatment outcomes.