Mentally ill & nirbhar, recovered to atmanirbhar, the Tata Trusts way

 

 

 

There are over 200 patients treated for various types of mental illness at Government Mental Hospital, but not taken to home by their kin. Reason? Most families don’t want to take them back. Now, Regional Mental Hospital head, Medical Superintendent Dr Purushottam Madavi, with the help of Tata Trusts, is trying to bring life into the lives of the recovered patients by making them atmanirbhar. “There are 150 to 200 patients in the age group of 40 to 50 years. They are recovered, but, unfortunately, some of them are destitute while others are rejected members of their families. We have handed over recovered patients to Tata Trusts. Tata Trusts is providing them the training of professional skills and on the basis of the skills they learn they would get suitable job too,” Dr Madavi told The Hitavada while sharing the ugly truth about the patients who are completely neglected by their kin.

 

The patients, who were declared recovered, had to undergo some tests. They are kept in half day home. The patients who can do their own work without being treated at wards are certified as recovered. “With Tata Trusts doing all the work we are hopeful that the activity would never end and we will keep sending the patients whom Tata Trusts trains in various skills. We are optimistic that the patients would do their jobs in a proper manner,” added Dr Madavi. Tasneem Raja, Lead – Mental Health, Tata Trusts, elaborated, “Tata Trusts, under its mental health programme, Udaan, has set up eight employment pathways for patients at the Nagpur Mental Hospital. The eight employment pathways include farming, food truck/canteen, photocopy operator, broom & envelope making, tailoring, bakery (which is being set up), coffee vending and office boy, and housekeeping for Tata Trusts’ office in hospital premises.

 

The approach is to build each of these as a training platform to restore skills in people who have lost them by virtue of their illness or due to long periods of hospitalisation.” “The employment pathways, ranging from simple to complex, were created to accommodate different levels of disability associated with severe mental illnesses, like schizophrenia. Each pathway carries with it a range of skills, including daily living, such as dressing up and arriving at the allocated work area on time, and others associated with the job, itself. Gainful employment is an essential component of recovery from a severe mental illness and restoration of personal dignity. These pathways were developed considering the resources available within the ambit of the mental hospital and their utility in the larger world outside,” informed Tasneem Raja to ‘The Hitavada.’