Bellevue Hospital overcrowding sparks push for expansion and police crisis training

Pressure is rising over crowding at Bellevue Hospital in East Kingston, with growing concern that Jamaica’s main psychiatric institution can take no more patients and must be enlarged without delay to cope with rising need.

There is also mounting demand for deeper preparation of police officers so they can manage mental-health emergencies more effectively.

Counsellor Jesse James Clarke cautioned that the hospital has no spare room left.

Clarke said, "Bellevue is just overcrowded. It has reaches capacity now and I think it needs to be expanded and is and more funds need to be given to them. The mental health unit to as well at the Winward Health Centre needs expansion, needs more funding, needs more vehicles and staff trained staff that can that be able to can be out there in the day. So, what you want is to actually have a mobile unit that is going while you have your regular 9-5 staff members working in the days."

Clarke further argued that instruction for members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force should be broadened, noting that crisis teams often step in only after a person turns violent.

He said, "We extend the training time for our police officers to ensure that not just some of them but all of them have extensive training in dealing with mentally ill persons."

The counsellor pointed to what he sees as a climb in mental-health cases, while stressing that services remain under-resourced.

"Yes, there's an uptick in persons with mental health issues, and many persons in Jamaica, within the municipality, I'm sure they can they have experienced persons whether it's persons entering the garbage bins and scattering the garbage all over the road or persons taking up residence. I have a case now that I have been dealing with has been a long-standing case running for years now on Clieveden Avenue, with somebody who just come and take up residence there, who is mentally ill and it's difficult to get the team to come out to respond um to be collect that particular person."

In his view, prompt psychiatric evaluation is especially important for those most at risk.

"You have to also think that persons with mental health condition being in certain space put them in confrontation with law enforcement and also persons who might who would want to harm them too as well, you know. So, we'd want them to offer the services that are being offered to be offered in a more efficient manner."