The cabinet has approved a budget worth 686 million baht for the mental health service network development project to help alleviate a shortage in psychiatrists and psychotherapists.
Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak, director-general of the Mental Health Department (DMH), said the department is providing more psychiatry graduates, as the country has just 800 psychiatrists now.
Many work for private hospitals and some no longer practise. The actual number of active psychiatrists in public hospitals is concerning, especially paediatric psychiatrists.
In some provinces, there are no psychiatrists at all while the number of patients seems to…
