According to Dr. Rehman Abdulrehman, the director of Clinic Psychology Manitoba, up to 70% of people who present themselves at an ER need may need longer-term mental healthcare. Statistics show that Manitoba has 19 clinical psychologists for every 100,000 people (half of the national average of 49 per 100,000). A review of the province's healthcare system highlighted the lack of access to timely mental healthcare and recommended investing in more positions for clinical psychologists who should be more involved in general patient care. The province's plan to increase support for public access to psychologists include a preventive services plan. Abdulrehman cautions however, that hiring more psychologists won't solve the problem. He would like to see psychologists at the front end and at the back end of a diagnosis. He feels not everybody's going to need an expert in mental health, but psychologists are needed to provide that assessment.
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