Mind Clinic staff pose alongside Mayor Linnsie Clark at their site in the Medical Arts Centre.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Halloween decorations doubled as the backdrop for a belated grand opening of the Mind Clinic, where a husband and wife duo of psychiatrists is seizing a chance to help anyone who needs it.
Drs. Ahmad Chattha and Maham Riaz hail from the United Kingdom, where they completed their training and became consultant psychiatrists in 2022. Chattha specializes in general adult and geriatric psychiatry, and Riaz is also a general adult psychiatrist.
Chattha has an interest in electroconvulsive therapy, as well as repetitive trans-cranial magnetic stimulation. Their journey from across the pond began with a recommendation from a colleague, said Chattha.
“I was told by one of my friends to consider Canada as a long-term goal for my career,” said Chattha. “When I applied for the jobs, I was offered three interviews in Red Deer, Calgary and Medicine Hat. Medicine Hat was the first one to have the interview. And when I told them my wife is a psychiatrist as well, they immediately agreed to interview her as well, and they immediately recruited us.”
The couple first made the trip over to see the city in August 2023, and since then have been blown away by how welcoming and supportive the community has been, both professionally and personally.
“Coming from England, you know, there was a bit of hesitation of if we wanted to move so far away or not,” said Riaz. “But the way we were welcomed here really helped, and we felt there was a lot of need; we were told that at the time when we were coming, there were just three psychiatrists who were actually working in the hospital. So I think that is what really drove us to come here, because we knew we could really help, and everyone has been so kind since day one.”
The clinic first opened in July, but they waited to have their grand opening celebrations until they could bring in family from abroad, as well as bring in some of the people who have assisted in making the clinic a reality, including Mayor Linnsie Clark.
The Mind Clinic is working on striking the perfect balance of helping as many people as they can, and maintaining their own work-life balance. Currently, they are still accepting referrals for new patients who may benefit from their patient-centred, holistic approach to treatment, which looks at the biological, psychological and sociological factors to wellness.
“The Mind Clinic is here to help you. We are looking forward to welcoming new patients and helping them as much as we can,” said Chattha.
