Given the lack of response from the population when requiring mental health care, the Chamber of Deputies is studying a bill that seeks to establish the legal framework to guarantee universal access to these services.

With this bill, presented by Deputy Aníbal Díaz, and which already has the support of medical leaders in the field of psychiatry and psychology in the country, the legislator seeks to guarantee access to services, promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation in mental health as conditions for the full exercise of the right to health and well-being of the person, the family, and the community. The piece, presented last February 22 by correspondence to the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies, is under study by the Health Commission. Deputy Díaz recently introduced its content during a meeting with journalists and communicators.

He stressed that although Law 87-01 establishes mental health coverage in one of its articles, it is not applied, and families face difficulties when requesting such care.

The project establishes that mental health care considers the community care model, the inescapable respect for human rights and dignity of the person without discrimination, and the intercultural approach that eradicates the stigmatization of people with mental health problems.

Article 3 declares the design, proposal, coordination, conduct, monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of public policy on mental health to be of public interest.

It establishes that public and private health insurance must cover mental health care in their plans, including outpatient treatment, hospitalization, or hospitalization and access to medications.