Jagatsinghpur: Camps and programmes are being organised from time to time to create awareness among people on how to take care of people with mental illness.
There are also laws concerning these patients. But it seems that they are of little help.
Jagatsinghpur district is a case in point. Here in the district headquarters and Paradip industrial area, at any given time, one can find many such patients wandering, sitting on streets, footpaths and in markets.
The patients being in such pathetic condition suggests that neither the administration nor any social organizations are bothered about them.
There is already a directive from the National Human Rights Commission directing identification of these patients and their treatment till recovery. The directive lays more emphasis on female mental patients.
But nothing has been done so far to identify female mental patients moving around or shift them to a safer place.
There are many instances wherein such female patients were being harassed, even sexually.
A case of a mentally ill woman giving birth to a baby girl by the side of an abandoned truck near Badapadia Old College is still fresh in people’s mind.
The newly-born baby was rescued and admitted at a government hospital in Paradip. Later, the baby was shifted to Shishu Bhawan in Cuttack. After its treatment for a month at special newborn care unit (SNUC), steps were taken for its rehabilitation at Basundhara Children Home.
But during this month-long period, the new mother was reportedly left to fend for herself. None had shown any interest to provide her the required post-delivery treatment. And with the passage of time, she was forgotten.
There are many such cases cropping up.
Till some months ago, a psychiatrist from Cuttack used to come to the DHH but is no longer visiting. Moreover, shortage of these patients’ medicine has only aggravated the situation in the district.
When contacted, chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Bijaya Panda said people are being sensitized from time to time on how to take proper care of mental patients. “Since we don’t have a specific ward to treat them, we shift them to Cuttack. We used to have a psychiatrist from Cuttack. But it has been some months now since he stopped visiting the DHH.”
Jagatsinghpur town residents urged the administration to take necessary steps for wandering mentally ill persons.
PNN