Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Help the mentally ill, policemen told

Staff Reporter

"They should make arrangements for treatment"

A PEP TALK: The Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Madurai Range), N. Chenbaharaman, addressing the sensitisation programme in the city on Saturday. From left to right are C. Ramasubramanian, coordinator, District Mental Health Programme, and S. Gov indan, member, Madurai Bar Council. — Photo: K. Ganesan.

MADURAI : Police personnel should come forward to detain the mentally ill persons wandering on streets and help them get proper treatment, C. Ramasubramanian, coordinator, District Mental Health Programme, Madurai, Theni and Ramanathapuram, said here on Saturday.

Addressing police personnel at a one-day sensitisation programme on mental illness, he said the New Mental Health Act 1987 had empowered police personnel to detain such wanderers.

After producing them before the judicial officers, such people should be kept under observation for further treatment, if found mentally ill, he added.

Dr. Ramasubramanian said the police should not neglect their duty to help such patients in getting their right to proper treatment. Earlier, inaugurating the programme, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Madurai Range), N. Chenbaharaman, said that lack of scientific approach in performing everyday duties caused a lot of mental stress to police personnel. They should work out their priorities in advance and follow them to avoid tension at workplace. S. Govindan, member, Madurai Bar Council, spoke on the legal issues in mental illness.

The programme was jointly organised by Subitcham and Nambikkai - Care Givers Association in connection with the anniversary of the fire accident that occurred at an asylum at Yerwadi, in which many chained patients were charred to death on August 6, 2001.

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