The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Mentally ill deserves to be treated better: Baby

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Sunday, Jan 06, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Mentally ill deserves to be treated better: Baby

Special Correspondent

Education Minister inaugurates photo exhibition "Beyond the Cuckoo’s Nest"

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Education and Culture Minister M.A. Baby has called for a change in the society’s attitude towards the mentally ill.

Inaugurating an exhibition of photographs on the mentally ill titled ‘Beyond the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ organised jointly by Kolkota-based Anjali and city-based Bodhi here on Saturday, Mr. Baby said there must be an introspection at the individual and collective levels in Kerala society about the treatment being meted out to the mentally ill and the denial of their rights as human beings.

The stigma

The Minister regretted the stigmatisation of the mentally ill and the attempts of most to conceal the reality of there being a mentally ill person in their homes.

“Mental illness is no sin. Although one can be said to have contributed to the process of a person losing his or her mental balance, it must be seen as an illness and treated as such,” Mr. Baby said.

Ms. Ratnabali Ray, founder and managing trustee of Anjali, said the objective of the exhibition was to create awareness among people about the insensitive handling of mentally ill persons by society.

Poor allocation

The country has around 20 million mentally ill persons, but only 0.8 per cent of the entire health budget is being spent for their treatment and rehabilitation.

The stigma that mental illness brings with has resulted in rampant violation of the basic rights of the ailing persons within families, care-giving institutions and in the society at large, she pointed out.

Sundar, representing Bodhi, welcomed the gathering.

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