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.
THE DISPATCH...On Mental Health 