Tuesday, Aug 06, 2002
Tuesday, Aug 06, 2002 |
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Tamil Nadu
By Ramya Kannan
The first step was to close down 16 `sheds' for the mentally ill in Erwadi, in the face of opposition from some sections of local minority groups. Other `popular' faith healing centres such as Goripalayam in Madurai, Gunaseelam in Tiruchy, Agoraveerabhadrasamy Temple in Kancheepuram came under scrutiny and orders were issued to stop chaining of patients. A year after the incident, these centres remain free of mentally ill persons in manacles. Reports are that the rooms, which were used to tie up persons in the Prasanna Venkatachalapathy Temple in Gunaseelam, have been converted into godowns. A local level committee has been set up in Erwadi to curtail the springing up of such commercial `cure' centres. A team of psychiatrists and paramedical staff visit the temples and dargahs every 15 days to identify persons with mental illness seeking refuge there. ``The Government will not interfere with the faith of people, but we will take action against businessmen who exploit their faith,'' the Ramanathapuram Collector, S.Vijayakumar said. Even today, patients coming to the PHCs for medicines supplement their treatment with a visit to the holy shrine. The Ramnad district administration, working through the newly sanctioned District Mental Health Programme, set about creating awareness on the mental health issue. Twelve special camps to detect mental illness and retardation were organised between February and March, 2002, involving RDOs, doctors from the GH, PHCs, psychologists, social workers and vocational therapists, including volunteers from the Madurai-based M.S.Chellamuthu Trust. A total of 1232 persons were identified and assessed. All of them received medical care immediately. In the camps that were conducted later, persons with multiple disabilities were also identified. A total of 277 persons were identified for vocational training, 190 persons were to receive old age pension, 103 children were admitted to special schools and 239, received scholarship. As many as 521 persons were assured regular supply of free medicines. Six taluk hospitals and 17 PHCs were identified to provide follow-up medical treatment.
Vocational training
Training for the mentally ill includes making home-based cleaning products, paper bags, fancy goods from shells and plastic garlands. While in Madurai, a unit will soon be inaugurated to provide training for the mentally ill, one satellite mental health centre has already been set up in Ramanathapuran to provide training. Free bus passes have been provided to the persons with disabilities to visit the centres. Six other centres will be set up in other parts of the district. ``We have identified only those products that have a market. This way, we will be able to make sure that the proposition is commercially viable,'' according to the co-ordinator of the DMHP — Madurai and Ramad, C. Ramasubramaniam. Life skills training, physiotherapy and involvement of the family and community are the other features offered at the centres. Each of these centres will be monitored by a committee comprising panchayat leaders and family members. "We have realised that unless the community is involved, the stigma relating to mental illness will remain and we cannot make any headway,'' Mr.Vijayakumar added.
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