Overcoming fate through community’s intervention

Haven for managing Schizophrenia in Gorakana:

By Ranga Chandrarathne

[email protected]

All of it will ultimately boil down to the empowerment of the community and individuals and mobilized resources to treat and manage patients suffering from schizophrenia. Although the conditions of the schizophrenic patients can be substantially improved and make them fit to cope with life, awareness of the disease is very low even among the medical professionals.

Consultant Psychiatrist Prof. Nalaka Mendis	Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Usha Gunawardene	Project Director Neelani Goonetillake	Project Manager Mahendra Weerasinghe

According to Prof. Nalaka Mendis, the newly set up centre which is called the Lakeside Residencies in Gorakana in Panadura which is managed by Sahanaya, the National Council for Mental Health, will take care of the patients suffering from schizophrenia and would raise awareness among communities with a view to empowering individuals and families to look after the schizophrenia patients in order to make them fit for life. Perhaps, if properly managed, these persons can lead a much better life than so called normal human beings.

Significance of the setting up of a centre for managing schizophrenia patients is that it will be a precursor for raising awareness among the public on schizophrenia and de-stigmatizing the disease. Unlike in the case of other diseases such as cancer and hypertension, mental illness has not received due recognition largely owing to the social stigma attached to it.

People simply do not like to speak about them or perhaps about their kith and kin who are suffering from diverse mental illnesses because of the social stigma.

At the heart of treatment and managing of not only a patient of schizophrenia but also those who are suffering from various mental illnesses is the understanding of the disease and realization that they too have a right to lead a decent life and it is the responsibility of the society, individuals and communities to empower these patients and to make them cope with life.

Squashing out behind the time ideology

Although Sri Lanka boasts of being a land of a righteousness (*Dharmadveepaya*), it is the country with least respect to human dignity and rights of the individuals. Ultimately, what matters is not the ton of preaching of the noble doctrines of religions of the world but gram of practice in recognising individual rights.

Reminiscent of an ugly facet of this characteristic, Prof. Mendis stated that some times back , a former Minister of Health when asked for a quarter to build wards for the psychiatric patients. The Minister retorted “ *Pissanta mona wattuda*” (what, a ward for mental patients? ) . Ironically Prof. Nalaka Mendis treated the Minister’s brother who was suffering from mental illness. This shows in ample terms the degree of respect accorded to individuals in Sri Lankan society and respect of individual rights.

A recent incident I encountered also vindicated the negative societal attitude towards individuals suffering from mental illnesses. I accompanied a groom as the best-man and it was at the auspicious time that the groom left the home for the luxurious hotel by a Mercedes Benz car.

As per the custom, it is believed that the bride groom should meet a person who is considered as a good omen. For this very purpose, the groom’s mother was stationed once at the thresh hold to the house with a glass of ‘pure’ water with white flowers in it and then on the road just before the bride groom leaving for the hotel.

However, the carefully planted arrangements of seeing a person of good omen was marred by the sight of an innocent child with a satchel who is suffering down syndrome emerged into the vicinity.

Apparently flabbergasted by the sight, the bride groom continued to abuse the innocent child until he reached the hotel. I was thoroughly disappointed with my friend the bride groom and the society which groomed him and his pernicious ideology.

It dawned upon me that the fact this person does not belong to any religion though he professed to be a Buddhist, a follower of the noble doctrine of universal compassion. This also showed how impractical we are as a society and as individuals in protecting inalienable rights of fellow citizens who may be less fortunate than us.

In another incident, a friend’s mother who is a widow, used to get up at 3.30 in the morning every day to fetch water from a common well. Though it seems to be odd, I realised the gory fact later that people spat on before her and considered her a bad omen because she was a widow. They also abused her for no fault of hers.

These incidents where an individual suffering from Down syndrome and a citizen are discriminated in the name of custom and beliefs would be an eye opener for concerned citizens who should put their weight behind stamping out social stigma and mythical beliefs.

Blueprint towards sun-lit path of happiness

It would be gigantic task to stamp out social stigma attached to schizophrenia patients and to help integrate them into the mainstream society as individuals fit for life specially against the back drop of outmoded ideas and archetype beliefs.

This effort pioneered by Consultant Psychiatrist Prof. Nalaka Mendis, Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Usha Gunawardene and social activist Neelanie Goonetillake and Mahendra Weerasinghe, should be strengthened not only in terms of financial support but also in building a community of supporters.

This community has the responsibility of raising awareness of the public on schizophrenia and devising an effective care giving mechanisms that will ensure the well being of the patients.

Prof. Nalaka Mendis together with the team of experts made the long term plan to subsidise the cost of running the Centre in Gorakana.

It is important at this juncture to enlist the long term commitments from corporate sector and for them to consider the functions of the Centre as a serious business rather than an adhoc charity.

Especially with the knowledge and experience of people like Neelanie Goonatillake who served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Sri Lankan Branch of an international conglomerate have contributed their expertise and business acumen to the master plan.

Schizophrenia is a lifelong illness which causes considerable expenses financially and considered even in USA as one of the most costly diseases.

Besides the financial cost, schizophrenia also incurred a heavy social cost in terms of care giving and managing the patients and stamping out the social stigma attached to the disease. The Centre takes an inclusive approach with regard to managing schizophrenic patients and encouraging them to lead a life confidently when they get back to their homes.

Community support and active involvement in raising public awareness of the disease and building a sustainable care giving mechanism is of paramount importance to make these patients fit for life.

The Centre in Gorakana is modeled on such Schizophrenia centres in diverse parts of the globe such as centres in USA.

The techniques and methodologies employed in the Centre are also in keeping with international standards whilst being appropriate for a Sri Lankan environment. The Centre is located at 115/2, Galkanuwa Road, Gorakana, Panadura and can be contacted on 011-2685960 and 038-4281640.

The main aim of this centre is not merely to treat the patients alone but to teach and create awareness among the care-givers and the society at large on how to cope with the symptoms and enrich the lives of the patient. When Schizophrenia is diagnosed in a family member it becomes the first step to a long and arduous journey to the unknown.

Most people are never told by their doctors, the fact that that they must be aware of and the issues they may be faced with. This is the reason why a centre of this nature can be blessing in disguise.