Scheme to Rehabilitate Cured Mental Patients

30-Jun-2014

Shafeeq Alingal

KOZHIKODE : Hundreds of inmates of Kuthiravattam Government Mental Hospital, who are compelled to stay in the hospital even after their illness is cured, are upbeat as the state Social Justice Department’s rehabilitation package would bring them back to a homely atmosphere. Inmates like them, languishing in various mental hospitals across the state, will be freed with the imminent launch of the scheme, which is envisioned as a government-NGO joint initiative.

According to Social Justice Minister M K Muneer, several persons who are cured of their mental illnesses are still languishing in the various mental hospitals in the state as the relatives are reluctant to take them back home even after the treatment period is over.

“The project’s aim is to provide a homely atmosphere for them in order to keep them away from situations that will cause their psychiatric problems to recur,” said M K Muneer.

“As the patients are stigmatised, it is tough for them to go back to their homes. Though NGOs and voluntary organisations are interested to take care of them, laws related to psychiatric patients and financial crunch impede them from taking over such persons,” said Social Justice Department director V N Jithendran.

The department will provide certification and financial support for the care homes to be set up by NGOs under the scheme. The NGOs have to file applications with the government for the purpose and ensure requisite facilities at the care homes. The Social Justice Officer in each district is entrusted to evaluate the facilities and certify the care homes.

Along with the rehabilitation scheme for inmates of mental hospitals, the department is also planning to enhance the enforcement of the Senior Citizens and Parents Act, in order to ensure that the senior citizens receive due care from their kin.

“To send the elderly psychiatric patients to the care homes is the last resort. In order to curb the dumping of psychiatric patients in care homes, it is necessary to enforce the Senior Citizens and Parents Act and make the society aware of caring the patients with psychiatric disorders,” said Jithendran.

“Around 10 applications from various NGOs have been received,” he added.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Scheme-to-Rehabilitate-Cured-Mental-Patients/2014/06/30/article2307070.ece

High-level Meet Discusses Issues of Ward 9 of General Hospital

1-Jul-2014

Health Minister V S Sivakumar chairing the meeting convened to discuss the issues related to Ward 9 of the General Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The mentally ill patients who are admitted to Ward 9 of the General Hospital here will be shifted within 24 hours to the Mental Health Centre at Peroorkada, according to Health Minister V S Sivakumar.

“From now onwards, the mentally ill patients getting admitted to the General Hospital will be shifted to the Mental Health Centre after proper diagnosis within 24 hours,’’ he said after a meeting convened here to discuss the recent issues at Ward 9, where a clash between the inmates had led to the death of two patients.

Stating that 21 mentally ill people, including 8 women, were housed in Ward 9 at present, Sivakumar said that Chief Judicial Magistrate, City Police Commissioner and Cantonment Circle

Inspector had been intimated about the presence of these inmates and steps would be taken to shift them from there at the earliest.

He said it is the police who bring sick people to the Destitute Ward (Ward 9).

As per the report, there are 94 patients, including 31 women patients in Ward 9.

However, the bed strength is 44. Twenty patients, including 15 women, who have been cured, are now housed in the ward, the Minister said.

The Social Welfare Department has been asked to rehabilitate those who have been cured, Sivakumar said.

The Minister said that a meeting of various organisations would be convened, which would also be attended by the Social Welfare Minister, to discuss the rehabilitation of the cured patients at the earliest.

A review meeting in this regard will be held on July 3.

K Muraleedharan MLA, Health Secretary K Elangovan, ADGP Padmakumar, IG Manoj Abraham, Law Secretary Premaraja Rajendra Prasad, Health Director P K Jameela, DMO K M Sirabudeen, DPM B Unnikrishnan and General Hospital Superintendent Fazeelath Beevi were among those who were present at the meeting.

www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/High-level-Meet-Discusses-Issues-of-Ward-9-of-General-Hospital/2014/07/01/article2308545.ece

Mentally ill persons admitted to Ward 9 to be shifted to Peroorkada MHC

1-Jul-2014

They will be presented before magistrate within 24 hours of admission

THIRUVANANTAPURAM: Mentally ill patients being admitted to Ward 9 of General Hospital will be shifted within 24 hours to Mental Health Centre (MHC), Peroorkada, Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar has said.

He was speaking at a high-level meeting convened in his chamber on Monday in the aftermath of an attack by a patient on two of his fellow patients in Ward 9, resulting in their death. K. Muraleedharan, MLA, was present at the meeting.

Ward 9 has been taking care of 21 mentally ill persons, including eight women. Communications have been sent to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Vanchiyoor; the City Police Commissioner; and the Circle Inspector, Cantonment, that these patients have to be shifted to the MHC.

Certification
Henceforth, mentally ill patients being brought to Ward 9 will be carefully observed, and after diagnosis and certification from the psychiatrist, they will be presented before the magistrate within 24 hours and shifted to the MHC, it was decided at the meeting.

At present, the ward houses 94 people, against its current bed strength of 44. At least 20 persons, including 15 women and five men, are fully cured of their ailments, and may be rehabilitated, the Health Department informed the Social Welfare Department.

Mr. Sivakumar said a meeting of the Social Welfare Department officials, agencies, and non-governmental organisations engaged in the rehabilitation of the sick, orphaned, and the elderly would be convened soon, in the presence of Minister for Social Welfare M.K. Muneer, to discuss the rehabilitation of Ward 9 inmates.

A meeting of the monitoring committee of the ward would be convened on July 3 at General Hospital, Mr. Sivakumar said.

Health Secretary K. Ellangovan; ADGP K. Padmakumar; IG Manoj Abraham; Law Secretary Premaraja Rajendra Prasad; Director of Health Services P.K. Jameela; DMO K.M. Sirabuddeen; senior Health officials; and Superintendents of General Hospital and MHC attended the meeting.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/mentally-ill-persons-admitted-to-ward-9-to-be-shifted-to-peroorkada-mhc/article6166267.ece