Sunday observer Extra

Royal College fulfills need:

Giving mental patients a sense of well-being

By Ananda KANNANGARA

Fifty three-year old Kusumalatha who is a resident of Narammala said she ran a boutique in the area and was admitted to the Angoda Mental Hospital by her parents several years ago.

Banana and pineapple and vegetable cultivation

Upali Gunasekara

Dr. Jayan Mendis

Padma Malani

Recollecting memories, Kusumalatha said she was admitted due to a prolonged mental illness and was now cured to a certain extent. She said her parents would have died by now and she had no contacts with her brothers, therefore wish to remain in the hospital during the latter part of her life.

This is a very pathetic story of a woman inmate in the Angoda Mental Health Institute. Similar stories were also related by several inmates during our brief stay at Mulleriyawa `Halfway Home’.

The `Halfway Home’ is located at Mulleriyawa which is about two kilometres away from the main Mental Health Institute. About 500 female inmates are housed in the `Halfway Home’.

The Sunday Observer last week visited the Mental Health Institute to see the progress of the one and a half acre extent agricultural farm which is located next to the Mulleriyawa `Halfway Home’.

The farm is run by inmates of the hospital under the guidance of Nurse Padma Malani and with the assistance of student members of the UNESCO Club of Royal College, Colombo. The inmates who indulge in agricultural work have sound mental background.

Cultivate

They cultivate all kinds of vegetables and fruits including mango, pineapple and bananas. Varieties of yams such as manioc, sweet potatoes and Hingurala are also cultivated in the farm.

According to Mrs. Malani the harvest is reaped very often and sell them to the Mental Health Institute and also outsiders.

She said 50 per cent of the income is divided among few female inmates who work in the farm everyday.

According to Mrs. Malani, the in-charge of the Hospital Dr. Jayan Mendis always extending a fullest co-operation and a helping hand to develop the agricultural farm by encouraging inmates.She said in addition, Dr. Mendis has also pioneered to construct few houses outside the “Halfway Home” garden for the benefit of several female inmates who are completely cured to live separately, so that they could develop their mental skills further.

Speaking to Sunday Observer, the in-charge of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Jayan Mendis said there are nearly 900 mentally retarded male and female patients in the Angoda main Mental Health Institute, while about 500 female patients are housed at the Mulleriyawa `Safeway Home’.

Improve

He said the staff members including doctors and nurses are rendering yeoman service to improve mental condition of patients without considering that it is a job they must do to earn monthly salaries from the state.

“In addition to this agricultural program, we train our inmates in various self employments such as sewing, dressmaking, handicraft, making greeting cards, domestic work etc., so that they could go to the society one day and move freely with them,”.

Dr. Mendis profoundly thanked the Principal of Royal College Upali Gunasekara, the teachers and the students for their utmost support towards the Mental Health Institute to carry out various social and religious programs throughout the year to bring a mental relief to patients.

“Helping this coterie of people is a meritorious deed and this is also an example to others in the society”.

Dr. Mendis said that during the time he assigned duties at the Hospital it needed many basic facilities including toilets, bathrooms and some other facilities for inmates and he was able to provide some facilities during a short period. Dr. Mendis also thanked several teachers at Royal College including Mrs. Swarna, Mrs. Lalani Jayatilaka, Mrs. Matarage and Sugath Liyanagunawardana for their support towards the programs in the hospital. Dr. Mendis also thanked Mental Institute doctors including

Dr. Damayanthi, Dr. Hemapala, Dr. Rupasinghe, Dr. Parakrama Bandara, Dr. Weragala and several other doctors, matrons and nurses for the invaluable service they rendered towards the welfare of mental patients. Royal College, Principal Upali Gunasekara said students of Royal College have been helping the Mental Health Institute to develop the agricultural program for the past several years and in addition teachers of Royal College also visit the hospital to train inmates to develop their artistic and musical skills.

Religious programs

He said in addition to the agricultural program, Royal College carry out New Year programs at the Mental Hospital every year and religious programs during the Vesak seasons to help inmates to improve their mental state. Secretary, UNESCO club of Royal College, Lalani Jayatillaka said the agricultural project with the Mental Health Institute was commenced in 2009 with the objective of providing fresh vegetables and fruits to inmates and thereafter sell the additional stuff.

This nature of the program will also give mental satisfaction to patients. She said when time permits members of the College UNESCO club visit the agricultural garden and work with inmates in the `Halfway Home’.“It brings immense pleasure to work with a section of society in order to give these people the mental satisfaction that they require”, she said.

She also said that in future Royal College will conduct art exhibitions and various other social work at the Mental Health Institute to improve the mental condition of inmates.