Malaysia, Korea explore mental health links here
[ UniNews Vol. 13, No. 15
23 August - 6 September 2004 ]
Melbournes reputation as a centre of excellence in mental health reform and education was underscored recently with visits by senior mental health officials from Malaysia and Korea.
Hosted by St Vincents Mental Health Service and the University of Melbourne, the delegations came to study reforms taking place in psychiatric care and service delivery, particularly the shift from hospital-based to community-based models.
The delegates also looked at opportunities for partnerships to collaborate more closely on education, training and research.
Heading the Malaysian delegation was Malaysias chief psychiatrist, Dr Abdul Aziz Abdullah, who is also Head of Psychiatry at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, the largest hospital in Malaysia and one of the biggest in Asia. Joining him was senior government official, Dr Zaidah Hussian, Deputy Director of Family Development at the Ministry of Health, and three psychiatrists from other leading hospitals.
A highlight of the Malaysian visit was a briefing on groundbreaking research in youth health by the University of Melbournes Professor Patrick McGorry, director of the ORYGEN project.
Heading the Korean delegation was Governor Min Su Park. Mr Park is head of Seoul citys health division, responsible for 10 million people. Accompanying him were Dr Hawa Kyung Lee, Director of Seouls Jungrang Public Health Center, and psychiatrists and senior staff from Seouls mental health sector. One of the visitors, Associate Professor Myung Soo Lee, remained in Melbourne to attend a seminar as part of his leadership training with the Universitys Centre for International Mental Health.
The visits were coordinated through the Australia-Asia Mental Health Consortium. The Consortium is a collaboration between St Vincents Mental Health Service, the Department of Pyschiatry, the Centre for International Mental Health, and Asialink at the University of Melbourne.
The Consortium builds collaborations to support mental health in the Asia Pacific region.
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