The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Improving mental health in prison

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Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Improving mental health in prison

Raghava M.

Guidelines to handle violent inmates

A warder to be assigned to each of the nine barracks
Other inmates will be observed for signs of disorder

BANGALORE: Mentally ill inmates at the Bangalore Central Prison, who are refusing treatment, will now be monitored by a prison warder who will administer medicines personally. The warder will not only look after the mentally ill, but will also observe other inmates for any behavioural change.

There are about 350 inmates in the prison diagnosed as mentally ill. Of these, only 205 are under medication, either in the prison hospital or in the new rehabilitation centre, while the remaining are staying in their barracks refusing to take any treatment.

Following this, the Prison Department has decided to deploy a warder to each of the nine barracks in the prison and provide the medicine.

“He will go to the barrack with water and the required medicine and will ensure that each of them consume the prescribed medicines,” P. Rajini, psychiatrist working in the prison hospital, told The Hindu.

She said that this was one of several steps being taken to improve mental health care in the prison, where the highest number of inmates are housed. “The inmates do not feel comfortable coming to the hospital or the rehabilitation centre. They continue to suffer from depression and headache. Some even try to consume an overdose of their medicines to commit suicide,” she said.

Every evening, when the inmates return to their respective barracks the trained prison warder will go to the barracks and supply medicines. The warder will also observe other inmates who have symptoms of mental illness and report it to the hospital. “It is our duty to take care of the inmates during their stay,” Dr. Rajini added.

Guidelines

A meeting held recently to prepare guidelines to take care of mentally ill patients and handle violent prison inmates has resulted in new measures. During the meeting, prison officials and experts observed that violent reactions of the inmates would be either related to mental illness or with personality related problems. While the former needs regular treatment, the latter needs change in the environment.

“A violent inmate will be moved to a safe place for a brief period till he becomes calm. There will be eye-to-eye monitoring and his health will be checked by a medical officer every day,” Dr. Rajini said.

Among other steps that have been suggested include asking prison officers to keep the prison hospital informed about the mentally ill patients. The prison officials have also been asked to make changes in the admission procedure.

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