* Arun Sharma * * Tribune News Service * *Chandigarh, February 20* Chandigarh which boasts of one of the best health facilities in the country has no place to treat persons suffering from mental disorders, thanks to the lackadaisical approach of the city administration.
As per a rough estimate, there are 8,400 patients of schizophrenia in Chandigarh only and nearly 2,000 of them have a chronic problem and, thus, require long-term hospitalisation. Although a 100-bed mental health institute was approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare eight years ago, it is yet to see the light of the day, as the local administration has failed to act in this regard. The approved institute proposes to have separate units for males and females for long stay as well as intermediate stay. Separate units for undertrials and criminals having mental disorders is also proposed to be part of the institute. It will also house a workshop and outdoor sports playground. While land for the purpose has been earmarked in Sector 32, and 93 posts, including medical superintendent, psychiatrist specialists, clinical psychologists and other supporting staff, had been created by the Union Ministry in April last year, the local administration did not act on it. Secretary Health Ram Niwas said the administration had already started other major projects in the health sector, including construction of E Block in Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and administrative-cum-OPD block in Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16. Mental Health Institute, however, has been kept on the priority list for this year. Apart from the above cited figures of patients, many people with medical problems, including obsessive compulsive disorders, resistant depression and bipolar mood disorders, and personality disorder require long hospitalisation and care. Though the hospitals at Chandigarh, PGI, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, are providing care for acutely ill patients, there are no facilities for long-term stay and rehabilitation of mentally ill persons. The setting up of this institute in Chandigarh will not only help the patients and their families in the tricity, it will come as a boon for the people in the whole region as there is no such institute in a radius of 100 km, says Colonel AK Mehndiratta (retd), president of Prayatan, an NGO, which is working for the rehabilitation of mentally challenged patients. “One of us in Prayatan from Panchkula has two sons, both suffering from mental sickness, and he has no place to keep his children where they can be taken care of,” said Colonel Mehndiratta. There were thousands others like him who have been left to struggle on their own to take care of their children. We have knocked on every possible door in the administration but to no avail, rued Mehndiratta. *Poverty linked to disorders* A few years ago, a random survey conducted on children coming to the Government Institute for Mentally Retarded Children (GIMRC) in the city found a relation between the disorder among children and poverty. Over 70 per cent of the 300 children coming to the GIMRC were found to be from socially and economically weaker sections of society. It was noticed that one of the common causes was poverty, due to which mothers could neither get nutritious diet before or during pregnancy nor get antenatal care. Infection went untreated in some expectant mothers. And deliveries were carried out at homes in slums or villages by midwives, said Dr BS Chavan, joint director, GIMRC. *Why need for such institute* Most of mental health services in Chandigarh provide care for acute cases and there are hardly any services for the chronically mentally ill patients. There is no place in Chandigarh where abandoned, orphaned destitute persons with mental disorders can be kept and cared for. Many undertrials/convicts with mental diseases are being kept in prison against the guidelines of the apex court. Chandigarh does not have any services for social and vocational rehabilitation of chronically mentally ill persons. As per the curriculum of the post graduate training course in psychiatry, the post graduate students are required to undergo training in a mental hospital. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110221/cth1.htm <http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110221/chd.htm> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
