*21 May 2011* *VIZAG* : Incidences of mentally challenged persons wandering on streets, in traffic, at RTC bus complexes, railway stations, shopping complexes, temples and ch-urches, are on the rise in Vizag city. According to sources, most of such persons hail from the neighbouring states like Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.
“After being disowned by their kith and kin, such persons were roaming around aimlessly, and causing inconvenience to public in the city,” said the head of an NGO, which works for rehabilitating the destitute. The general public, including some corporators, appealed to the authorities, including police and the heads of civic bodies, to protect the Vizagites from the presence of such people, who might become a danger or nuisance to them. According to official sources, nearly 20 per cent of the inpatient cases reported at the 140-year-old Government Hospital for Mental Care (GHMC), here, were of wandering people, and people with mental illness due to consumption of drugs. The source further added that a wandering person pelted stones at some pedestrians causing injuries, at the One Town area a few weeks ago. A doctor said that a PhD awardee and gold medallist from Andhra University, also used to roam on the university premises for the last few years. “However, he was recently given treatment,” he added. Speaking to this newspaper, the GHMC superintendent, Dr K. Narasimha Re-ddy said that the GHMC was always ready to give proper medical treatment to them. It was the job of the police to admit such people in the mental care centres, after arresting them as per the rules and regulations of the Indian Mental Health Act-1987, Dr Reddy said. He said that after giving proper medical treatment at the GHMC, nearly 30 people were sent to a local NGO for the destitute. The GHMC had asked the government to approve their proposal of establishing a Home For Chronically Sick Patients on the hospital premises. “The government has been requested to set up three mental health care centres in the state, besides enhancing the psychiatric units at every general and district headquarters hospitals in order to provide effective medical aid to the mentally challenged persons,” Dr Reddy added. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/visakhapatnam/wandering-lunatics-rise-219 -- 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
