25/05/2011
*~ Systematic treatment must: doctor*
* ~Public awareness
programme held *
*
~Misconception major hurdle to
treatment*
*
*
*Kozhikode *: Removing misconceptions about the disease and educating
society in the right way so as to ensure appropriate and on-time treatment
for patients hold the key to the treatment of schizophrenia, observed a
public awareness programme organised as part of the World Schizophrenia Day
observance in the city on Tuesday.
Consultant psychiatrist P.N. Suresh Kumar, who spoke on the occasion, said
ignorance of the people about schizophrenia, which is a severe form of
mental illness, was still the main hurdle in fighting the disease. “A
majority of the people, even today, resort to magico-religious treatment for
schizophrenia, which needs systematic, continuous and lifelong treatment in
most of the cases,” said Dr. Suresh Kumar.
According to him, in majority of the cases, the relatives or the family
members of the patients seek the help of modern medicine only as the last
resort. “By then, the status of the patients may have worsened beyond
restoration,” he said. If diagnosed and treated promptly and scientifically,
schizophrenia can be cured or perfectly managed like any other diseases, he
maintained.
Stating that one in 100 persons is likely to have schizophrenia, Dr. Suresh
Kumar said an estimated 3 lakh people in Kerala are said to be suffering
from the disease in its varying forms. Even though both the genders equally
share the risk of schizophrenia, the disease, according to him, is likely to
attack for the first time between the ages of 20 to 30.
Stressing the need for a proper rehabilitation programme for schizophrenia
patients, Dr. Suresh Kumar said the case deserved special attention of the
policy makers. “As a developing nation, it is high time that our policy
makers thought about a comprehensive rehabilitation package for
schizophrenia patients,” he said.
Another major hurdle in the treatment of the disease, according to
consultant psychiatrist Deepa Deepak, is the social stigmatisation of the
patients which makes their rehabilitation a difficult task. The family
members, policy makers and society in general have a very crucial role to
play in this regard. “Without their sincere support and cooperation no
treatment of schizophrenia can be successful,” said Dr. Deepa, who added
that a massive scale anti-stigmatisation campaign was also needed to tide
over this challenge.
http://www.thehindu.com/2011/05/25/stories/2011052552950900.htm
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