Hi all,
*Please find below a word-by-word transcription from Hindi of audio report http://www.cgnetswara.org/index.php?id=8962 * *(TRANSLATION & TRANSCRIPTION THANKS TO SANDHYA VEDULLAPALLI) > * > * > Temple works as mental hospital but has no facilities... > > Shyamrao Dhawle attached to a NGO Gramiya vikas Sansthan from Chhindwada > district of Madhya Pradesh says for the past ten to fifteen years quite a > number of people suffering from mental disorders visit a Hanuman temple in > this region. * * * > *Last year alone the number of people visiting this temple has been > registered to be as 1300, of these 75% were women. There are no facilities > for these women or patients who visit the temple from the Government, Trust > Committee etc. There are no basic facilities like food, shelter or medical > available for them. Because of the lack of such facilities we have noticed > that they fall ill in a serious way and about ttwelve to fifteen of the > mental patients died here last year. * * * > *We have brought to the notice of the Government and the temple committee > which is filled with political persons that the donation collected by the > temple which is nearly one and half crores every year. This can be spent > for a caretaker or for the care an support of these people but it is not > being done. * * * > *We have started voluntary work in this area. But we are being targeted > by the Government and the temple committee members, they do not want us to > do this voluntary work. The main reason being that the scam by the temple > trust committee of lakhs of rupees of the temple for the past 10 to 12 > years would be exposed. * * * > *This has already come out in the open in the Audit Report, but no action > was taken till now. To do all this work we need support from various human > rights group, donors so that thousands of mental patiens will be benefit. > They can get back to the main stream of life and take care of their > children.* *This report was made by Shyamraoji Dhawale who is director of NGO GASVS. Their annual report<http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=gasvs%20india%20chamatkari&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.karmayog.org%2Fngo%2Fgasvs%2Fupload%2F4904%2FProfile%2520of%2520GASVS%2520-%2520Mar%25202011.doc&ei=EMceT6OiEsPprAfXrezNDA&usg=AFQjCNGSq1pVC3Gx8wObfkieXhNf9zoLag&sig2=RBbfMsLbMVl4xO-lykE1YA>for 2011 stated the following : * *Mental Health > GASVS is presently working at the Hanuman Temple in Sausar which is also > known as ‘Chamatkari Hanuman mandir’ for curing the mentally ill. The > organization has established a ‘Seva center’ with the support of Sevak > mental health, Kolkata to increase awareness on mental health amongst the > devotees who throng the temple on Saturdays and Tuesdays of every week. > . > . > . > Future Plans : Mental Health > Sausar tehsil of Chindwara district has become a focal point for > indigenous healing for mental health problems. Thousands of people come to > the Hanuman Mandir in Sausar to seek blessings and treatment for Mental > Health Problems. Many of the people who come here are abandoned by their > families and continue to stay on at the temple complex. There is also a > significant risk of human rights violation of persons living with mental > illness in such situations. The health systems of Chindwara are ill > prepared to address the mental health needs of the District let alone > addressing the mental health needs of people who come to the temple seeking > mental health services at the temple. The organization envisages seeking > support from partners to start outreach and decrease neglect and > exploitation of the mentally ill.* *Subsequently after discovering a similar complaint<http://nhrc.nic.in/disparchive.asp?fno=240>on the NHRC website stating the following, I called Mr. Sharma at NHRC. * > *" It was unanimously agreed that an immediate intervention is needed to > ameliorate the cause of several mentally ill people languishing at chamatkari > hanuman temple in Chindwada District of Madhya > Pradesh<http://maps.google.co.in/maps/place?cid=10162214510304758936&q=Hanuman+Mandir,+SH+19,+Chhindwara,+Madhya+Pradesh&hl=en&cd=1&cad=src:ppiwlink&ei=H9AeT4jTEajcmAWe84SVDw&sig2=jWOA0YrKR87SB1c55IGI4w&dtab=2> > .* I was referred to the presenting officer Mr. C.K. Tyagi who was most helpful with providing the following information which I have put down as well as I can remember - any errors are mine entirely * * > *NHRC case file number on mentally ill people languishing at Chamatkari > Hanuman temple is 590/12/11/2011 > Initial complaint was triggered by the death of a 17 year old mentally > challenged girl who had been languishing there for over 2 years - > apparently she was run over by a truck. The places Waghoda and Samawalli > were mentioned (I forget what for) > The complaint was forwarded by Dr. Tapas Kumar Roy of > SEVAC<http://www.sevacmentalhealthcare.org/sfamily.asp>- West Bengal NGO on > 2-3-2011. > * * * > *In the World Mental Health Day seminar held at Delhi by NHRC, Dr. Tapas > Kumar Roy who was present, highlighted this issue again. Information > regarding the same was passed on to representatives of the Madhya Pradesh > Chief Secretary and Union Health secretary for action. * * * > * > An NHRC team visited the mandir recently and have made the following > recommendations for district authorities' action: > * > > - *Form a charitable trust on line of Vaishno Devi Shrine* > > > - *District authorities to start a dispensary and hold medical camps > with a core group of doctors* > > > - *To seek help of psychiatrists from the nearest Mental > Hospital<http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-25/nagpur/30556551_1_mental-health-nmhp-medical-education>in > the same > * > > > - *To transfer chronically ill people to mental hospital and make > provisions for hygienic facilities and arrangements for paying / non-paying > patients who are not chronically ill. * > > > - *To start a counselling centre advising parents, families and > patients of medical and scientific treatment options.* > > > - *Long stay patients who are not seriously ill to be referred to > local NGOs who may receive some financial assistance for the same.* > > * > The report containing these recommendations was submitted to NHRC on 17 > Jan 2012. > Reminders have been sent on 11-Jan-2012 to Chief Secretary, Government of > Madhya Pradesh as well as Health Secretary, Union Government for their > proposed action on the same (as agreed in the 10-Oct-2012 NHRC seminar). > NHRC is awaiting their response.* For what its worth I have sent the most recent complaint from Mr. Dhawale to the Madhya Pradesh SHRC (as well as the NHRC again.) I am cc'ing Mr. Dhawale and Dr. Ray in the hope that they can provide further information and correct any errors in my communication. Additionally we hope to have some news after The Banyan team's scheduled visit to GASVS at the end of January 2012. Regards, Vaishnavi --------------------------------------- *VAISHNAVI JAYAKUMAR* http://about.me/vjayakumar -- 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
