*10 January 2012* *K.P.M. BASHEER*
In Kerala, rehabilitation centres provide care free *KOCHI* : Kerala has over the years emerged as a destination for persons with mental illness (PMI) from other States—they land up here not on their own, but often are put on Kerala-bound trains or long-distance trucks by their own relatives or villagers. A random check with functionaries of mental health care homes in different districts and discussions with health-care professionals show that a substantial number of the inmates of these homes are from outside Kerala. They come from States as diverse as UP, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. They arrive at the charity care homes after days or weeks of wandering and living on the street. They often arrive without the ability to recall their names, languages, States or home addresses. They are taken to these homes by social workers, police, panchayat council members or people who take pity on the PMI. Elizabeth Sebastian of Malayattoor, who is in charge of a care home for mentally ill, said 24 out of the 34 inmates were non-Malayalis. Hari Kumar of Divya Karunyalayam, said about a half the number of inmates were people from UP, Orissa, Karnataka and West Bengal. Mathappan Chettan, who founded Love Home in Ernakulam district, recalled that recently he had handed over 25 non-Malayali inmates to `Udavum Karangal' an NGO in Tamil Nadu, to be sent back to their respective homes. He once had a woman inmate from Sikkim. *Arrive by trains* Scores of PMIs arrive in Kerala every week, mostly by train. Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, where many inter-State trains terminate, are the main arrival cities. Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu is also a major arrival point, from where hundreds arrive in Kerala. Santhosh Joseph, who runs Mariasadanam at Pala, points out that care homes that are close to railway stations often have more number of non-Malayali inmates than Malayalis. In many States, where mental illness is considered a curse, families tend to get rid of the mentally ill. They simply pack these people off. The easiest way to do so is putting them on a long-distance train. Again, villagers and townspeople do the same to wandering PMIs in their midst. “It's like the practice in Kerala villages of putting unwanted kitten or puppies in a gunny bag, taking them across the river and letting them free on the other side of the river,” one functionary of a care home, who did not want to be named, told The Hindu . Occasionally, PMIs are packed off on long-distance trucks by bribing the drivers. At the Walayar check-post, the drivers just let the PMIs get off. Then it is a long walk of days or weeks — until someone takes them to a charity care home. Fr. George Thomas, who runs St. Joseph Mental Bhavan in Thrissur district, recalled that once while he was in an Andhra Pradesh village, people had told him that they always packed off their mentally ill to Kerala. Why Kerala? A major reason is the large number of care homes for the mentally ill which are run by charitable societies and trusts in Kerala. The huge majority of them are managed by church organisations, church-related entities or Christian philanthropic people. They find it easier to raise funds to support the institutions and also find committed nuns and priests to take physical care of the PMIs. *Another Kerala Model?* Most other States do not have the concept of care and rehabilitation homes for the mentally ill where food, housing, clothing and medicines are provided free. In fact, there is a kind of `Kerala model' of care homes for mentally ill. Now, charity agencies in some States are trying to adopt this Kerala model. In many States, caring for the mentally ill is not on the agenda of society, as mental illness is stigmatised. Relatives of the PMIs arriving in Kerala know very well that once in Kerala, their kin would somehow be taken care of until death, one Christian nun pointed out. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article2789022.ece -- 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
