The former state legislator of the Citizen Movement party, Vida Gómez Herrera, denounced non-compliance with the Mental Health Law of the State of Yucatán, enacted in 2018.
Since its approval, it has been ignored by state administrations, which contributes to the increase in suicide cases in the entity, she criticized.
“The Mental Health Law remains a dead letter because the State government, since 2018, has refused to apply it. And this, in an entity with a sustained increase in suicide cases, is unacceptable,” she said.
The former legislator highlighted that one of the pillars of this law is the creation of the Mental Health Institute as an auxiliary body to carry out actions in this matter, but it was never adequately materialized.
“32 very clear powers were established for this institute, such as the development of the State Mental Health Care Program,” she noted.
“But in the previous administration, the institute was just a desk and the appointment of a head without a budget or operation. The result was that suicide cases continued to increase,” she explained.
Among the key points of the law that have not been fulfilled, the former legislator mentioned incorporating mental health programs in schools and the creation of hospital transition villages.
“Article 73 establishes the obligation to create villages to strengthen the rehabilitation and social reintegration of users. Although a building was built, it was never used for this purpose and ended up being donated as offices and parking for the Superior Audit Office of the State of Yucatán (ASEY).”
Vida Gómez considered that one of the most serious points is the lack of clarity in the budget allocation to the Mental Health Institute.
In 2022, the then-legislator Vida Gómez presented an initiative to reform the law and resolve this legal loophole. However, the proposal was blocked by the last legislature. The former legislator emphasized that reforming the Constitution or creating new laws would be useless if there is no government will to comply with them.
“If mental health were a priority for the state government, it would be reflected in the budget. Useful laws are laws that apply. Responsible governments allocate a real budget and guarantee its application without simulations,” she reiterated.
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