Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Guiding through difficult times

Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Trainees of Manovikas learning tailoring, in Visakhapatnam. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: Hima Lakshmi, K. Padma and Kamala are busy on sewing machines, Swar Singh will not move away from the coffee vending machine from morning till late in the afternoon and if everything goes according to plan, N. Krishna will soon be operating a coffee vending stall in the Andhra Medical College premises.

They have been mentally ill patients and one comes to know that only if some one tells him or her. This is the pleasant scene one observes at the one-year-old Manovikas, a training and rehabilitation centre for the mentally ill, located on the premises of the Government Hospital for the Mental Care here.

“The crucial phase in treating a mentally-ill patient is to engage him or her after successfully treating him or her. The patient’s mind should not be idle as it would cause a relapse. Hence a training and rehabilitation facility is needed and Manovikas took shape. We impart simple training and integrate them into society,” explained coordinator of the facility and Professor of Psychiatry of the AMC and the hospital N.N. Raju.

There are some rehabilitation centres for mentally ill, but the advantage with Manovikas is that it is supported by highly qualified and experienced psychiatrists, physicians, clinical psychologists, nursing personnel, occupational therapists and administrative staff. There are about 25 trainees in the centre undergoing training in sewing, making of candles, paper envelop and paper plates.

Superintendent of the hospital G. Bhagya Rao, who took charge as Principal of AMC recently, who saw this centre being opened, says it is accepted worldwide that rehabilitation should immediately follow the treatment and the vocational training being provided here would also help the patients to engage themselves permanently in one trade and earn their livelihood.

Manovikas is also finding ways to increase its income so that the trainees are provided snacks or working lunch. Computer training, growing of mushrooms and making of soft toys are introduced for this purpose.

The three women undergoing training in tailoring had become mentally ill and were treated at the hospital. Later they are being engaged at the Manovikas. Hospital tailor S. Narasimha Murthy, enjoys a lot of satisfaction by training. Some time they behave differently, because of some problems at home and some time abstain also. “But I don’t mind coming here every day, even if I want to go on leave, because they are interested in learning”, he says.

Manovikas has asked the GVMC and VUDA to allot shops to the Manovikas so that the trainees’ products could be marketed. They could also be engaged in taking care of gardens and traffic islands.

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