*18 Jan 2012 * *L. Srikrishna
* A home for wandering lunatics is the need of hour * * *MADURAI* : In February 2004, when B. Chandramohan was the Collector of Madurai district, he had announced that the district administration/ government would earmark a space (a home) for wandering persons (victims of mental illness) who were either abandoned or victimised or physically abused by anti-social elements. Though the then Collector had stated that land was identified near Tirupparankundram, it did not move further from that point since then. It was proposed to construct a building on the land in which those found wandering in the district would be rehabilitated (particularly women and children). It was proposed to float a society named as – MANASA -- with a no-profit-no-loss objective and hand it over to a local NGO which would be accountable for day-to-day operations. The news item was published in the columns of “The Hindu” in February 2004.<http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/08/stories/2004020810940300.htm> Almost seven years have gone now. The district has had six Collectors and a DRO, who held additional charge as Collector, since then. However, the project to establish a home for wandering lunatics continued to be in cold storage but for a mention by the then Collector D. Rajendran in April 2005 that “a home for wandering lunatics is coming up near Madurai,” there was no concrete move in this regard. The present Collector U. Sagayam, who has been spearheading the need for bringing the differently-abled persons to mainstream, had promised to give a shape to the project at a recent grievance meeting. Following complaints that many lunatics were wandering and were exploited by anti-social elements, the district administration woke up to the call. In a fresh case, a 23-year-old woman was raped by some miscreants at Nagamalai Pudukottai some six months ago, when she was alone at home. As her parents were away at hospital, the mentally ill victim was exploited. The focussed investigation by the Madurai Rural Police had facilitated in arresting five persons, who had reportedly confessed to having committed the heinous crime. A month ago, a young woman was raped and murdered by a north Indian near Keelavalavu in Madurai district. The investigations suggested that some youth working in many of the private granite polishing industries in the locality might have indulged in the crime. Free legal aid Advocate Muthukumar said that for rehabilitating such victims, the government had established free legal aid clinics. The parents of such victims could approach and get remedy – legal and financial, through which the affected persons would get free food, shelter and treatment. In the case of the rape of a 23-year-old woman in Nagamalai Pudukottai, who is expected to deliver the child in the next 45 to 60 days, the government should direct the district administration to entrust the woman in an appropriate Home run by NGOs, where she could get the due care and attention, he added. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/article2810812.ece *2004 REFERENCED ARTICLE* *7 February 2004* Project to rehabilitate wandering lunatics * MADURAI* : In a significant move, the district administration is all set to establish a centre for the treatment and rehabilitation of wandering lunatics. If the project takes shape, Madurai will soon be free from mentally ill persons roaming about on roads aimlessly. In an order issued recently, the Government approved the formation of a society, `Manasa,' to implement the mental health programme at different levels in the district. Deviating from the conventional pattern, the project is aimed at involving the community in the treatment and rehabilitation process. It will also make available drugs for the mentally challenged persons at the primary health centre level. A brainchild of the Collector, B. Chandra Mohan, the `Manasa' would build a centre with State-of-the-art facilities on six acres of land at Tirupparankundram on the city outskirts. While the Government would provide infrastructure and manpower, the Action Aid (India), a voluntary organisation, would bear the operational and maintenance expenditure. "If the kin of the patients refuse to take them back into the family even after treatment, we will provide a homely environment under the protected community concept where trained personnel will take care of the victims. The idea is not only to prevent exploitation of the rehabilitated persons but also to engage them in income generating activities. It will be a `home' away from home," Dr. Chandra Mohan, told The Hindu today. With an intention to mainstream the mental health programme with the primary health care system, the `Manasa' would involve individuals and institutions to create an awareness of the advanced treatment methodologies available which would bring back the affected persons to normal life sooner or later. The wandering lunatics would be picked up and put under a specialised treatment package after going though the legal formalities. "This is a significant project and the first of its kind in the State since it provides treatment, rehabilitation and long-term protection under one roof. At a time when the family members, especially those in the middle and lower middle classes, are shedding responsibilities and abandoning the mentally ill patients, this project is a boon," said the city-based community psychiatrist, C. Ramasubramaniam, who is also coordinating in the mental health programme in Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts. With a handful of experts on its panel, the `Manasa' is now chalking out the modalities of the ambitious project, which is expected to take off in a few months from now. http://www.thehindu.com/2004/02/08/stories/2004020810940300.htm -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. 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