13,164 people undergoing psychiatric treatment

13,164 people in Malta are currently undergoing psychiatric treatment, government statistics show.

The data was tabled in parliament by health minister Chris Fearne in response to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Claudette Buttigieg, and refers to the number of Mount Carmel’s outpatients, as well as those receiving treatment at Mater Dei’s Psychiatric Outpatients Department and in government clinics across the island.

In response to another PQ by Buttigieg, Fearne revealed that the government’s budget for community mental healthcare last year stood at €7,198,265, a sum he noted was €1,109,312 more than was budgeted for that sector in 2012.