Chennai: Shankar, a man in his thirties, an inmate of Kilpauk Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Chennai, is now being rehabilitated after he was found loitering on the road. On the orders of Madras High Court, he has been an in-patient of the hospital.
However, it is not a one-off incident in Chennai. The 2018 survey undertaken by Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) shows that there were 112 homeless mentally-ill people on the roads of the city. But experts give a different number.
Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) assistant director, D Kotteswara Rao, said, “In the 2013 survey, there were around 3,800 such people on the streets of Chennai and the numbers certainly have not come down. There has not been enough infrastructural facilities available to house them: for instance, there are only 1,800 beds at Kilpauk IMH.”
Rao further claimed the number of homeless are even higher and 30 per cent of the population have the probability of being psychologically ill.
Echoing similar thoughts in a broader perspective, the director of The Banyan (that looks after destitute, mentally-ill women), Dr Kishore Kumar, stated, “The 2011 Census shows that 1.77 billion people are homeless in India. A third of them will have diagnosable psychological problem and the rest may have psycho-social or drug-related issues. The figures are grossly underestimated. It is not that the government or census body is hiding the truth, but the nature of the problem is not understood.”
“Every month, I ferry at least seven patients to the home I run for them from the roads with my personal vehicle. Until 2018, the State government did not have a dedicated ambulance to rescue them. In February,the National Health Mission (NHM) allocated vehicles for meeting the needs,” he said.
Last November, Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) vehicle was allocated per district to give transportation facility to mentally-ill people in Tamilnadu, by NHM. “When a representative from an NGO with whom we have tied up, dials the helpline, the vehicle arrives at the spot and ferries the patient,” said an NHM official.
The official further stated that the service will be offered only when the person is accompanied by an attendant. When asked about the homeless, the official said, “Seeking a reception order from the magistrate or an FIR from the police is difficult in such cases.”
“So far, we have met the needs of around 100 patients in the State,” added the official.
However, experts are concerned about the others who are ignored and not given shelter.
While Rao appreciates the efforts of NHM in being the forerunner in several activities, he feels that guidelines have not been set to operate the vehicles and they are underutilised.
An official from the GCC said, “The total number of rescued mentally-ill persons’ count comes to around 125 who are sheltered at the three homes run by the corporation.”
When asked about the mode of rescue, the official said they utilise vehicles from the transport department, and added, “The authorities are planning to buy three new vehicles for rescue operations.”
Pointing to other drawbacks, Rao added, “Personnel are not trained, and as per the guidelines of the Mental Health Act, it is mandatory that a social worker accompanies the driver during the rescue mission.”
Dr Kishore Kumar added, “The government should take measures to ferry them from roads at the earliest and establish a process to do so.”
PROBLEMS ON THE GROUND
* Contradictory figures on number of mentally-ill on roads
* No designated vehicles to rescue them
* Local police help in rescue mission
* No trained personnel to help with rescue
* Social worker must accompany driver
* Not sufficient space in Kilpauk IMH for all rescued patients