The lack of a special scheme to rehabilitate the homeless mentally-ill people is proving to be a huge challenge despite the presence of various charitable organisations in the city. Though a special scheme-Ente Koodu -of the Social Justice Department is currently catering to the destitute, the mentally-ill are yet to be brought under any of such schemes.
Though the census figures estimate the number of mentally ill as 600 in Kozhikode city, it has recently gone up .
The enthusiasm earlier shown by the police to shift such persons to nearby rehabilitation centres too is dying out with the difficulties in securing them accommodation.
“The Social Justice department is currently caring for women categorised as destitute under the ‘Ente Koodu’ scheme. To look after the mentally ill people, we are yet to have a proper rehabilitation project,” says Joseph Rebello, special officer of the Ente Koodu’ scheme. He points out that an initiative in this area is a much expected one from the district administration in collaboration with the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences.
As per the current situation, there are at least two mentally ill people in each of the 13 police stations in the city limit, who do not get any medical care, proper food or shelter. Police officials from these stations say the need to shift them to rehabilitation centres would arise only if they turned aggressive towards the citizens.
“Now we are picking such persons from the streets mainly based on the complaints from public.
“Otherwise, finding them accommodation in the city is a strenuous task,” said an Additional Sub inspector attached to the Nadakkavu station. He also shared that the police would be helpless to take such wandering patients to the Mental Health Centre at Kuthiravattom as it is already crowded and would not admit patients without bystanders.
Though a comprehensive treatment-cum-rehabilitation programme ‘Dreams’ (Dynamic Rehabilitation Efforts Aimed at Mentally Suffering) had been designed during the tenure of former Collector P.B. Salim, it came to an abrupt end after his tenure.
