27-APR-2014 MADURAI : Many still trust in faith healers for curing diseases and pay a heavy price for it in the form of worsening health issues and harmful medication. Most people relying on such quacks are from the economically weaker strata of the society. Psychiatrists have sensitized nearly 300 faith healers in Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts thorough an initiative of the state mental health programme. Insane people from rural areas are usually brought to village priests. They now refer such patients to nearby clinics. This helps many psychiatric cases to get medical attention at the earliest and put them on the road to recovery. The district mental health programme was launched to involve the community in treatment of mental illnesses. At present, it is being implemented in 16 districts in the state. Dr C Ramasubramanian, state nodal officer for the mental health programme, said religion plays an important role in our country, more so in the mental health aspect. People believe that psychiatric illnesses and disorders were due to black magic which could be cured only by divine intervention. Treatment of psychiatric patients usually leads to human rights violations as patients are subjected to torture like chaining, beating and isolation. As soon as problems are identified religious remedies rather than conventional treatments are sought by people. Dr Ramasubramanian said 3% of the population in India was suffering from serious mental illnesses which required immediate attention. If minor disorders are taken into account the figure may be higher. Quacks are still relevant as their treatment comes cheap. Besides, there is shortage of psychiatrists, he noted, while admitting that scientific studies and experience showed that unqualified medical practitioners dealt with minor problems effectively as they are aware of the culture and sentiments of the individual. Convincing local priests under the programme was not an easy task as they initially felt that they would be deprived of their livelihood. With much persuasion they attended a sensitization programme at a rehabilitation home run by the M S Chellamuthu Trust and Research Foundation in Madurai. They were shown that people with mental problem could be cured and helped to lead a normal life. "They were made to interact with patients and overcome their misconceptions. After that faith healers refer patients to mental health clinics in district hospitals, paving way for their speedier recovery," Dr Ramasubramanian said. The opening of the Dawa and Dua, spirituality-linked mental health centre at Erwadi Dargah, is a step in the right direction. It has changed the way patients are treated at the Dargah which is a popular place for cure of mental illnesses, he added.
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