'Our Facilities are Better than in Other States'

by SHOMA PATNIAK
Posted on 2008-10-10
What is the IPHMs role in treating the mentally ill?
“This institute provides two kinds of services, tertiary and extension. Of the two, tertiary services form the main plank of our facilities as it includes the OPD, consultations and admissions. On an average the IPHM attends to 150 OPD patients in a day. People from all over Goa and border areas come over here for treatment.
As for extension health care, we provide out-reach services at the primary health centre (Mando), Chimbel Old Age Home, Asha Mahal and once in a month to the inmates at Fort Aguada jail.”
Is that all?
“In addition to the above, we also provide liaison services viz quick psychiatry care to patients from the TB Hospital, Bhatlem and the Goa Medical College, as and when necessary. Thus, if a patient attempts suicide at the GMC then we immediately step in with professional counselling care.”
How do you rate the institute’s facilities vis-à-vis other states?
“The care provided by us is much better than in other states. If you visit other mental hospitals, you would discover that they are grossly understaffed and overcrowded. The doctors there have no time to look at the patients. Here we have 25 doctors, including consultants. Each patient who is admitted is seen by a doctor every day. I must also mention that at IPHM all patients are given free consultation and medications for the first month of their treatment.”
Are Goans sympathetic towards the mentally ill?
“The age-old stigma attached to the mentally ill is still not wiped out. So, by the time patients are brought to the hospital a lot of time is wasted. This is especially true of unmarried girls. Their parents want to keep their disturbed state of mind a secret and do not get them to the hospital. The sons fare no better. Families are often in a state of denial and declare that “it cannot happen to my son”. In the interiors they go to faith healers, quacks or those practising witchcraft. Only when the patent is aggressive, exhibits obvious signs of insanity and becomes either homicidal or suicidal he or she is got to a doctor.”
One hears of electric shocks to cure the sick, does that happen here?
“The lay public needs to understand that electric shock treatment or ECT for the mentally unstable is still existing and is indispensable in certain cases. For eg individuals with suicidal tendencies. They have tried to repeatedly kill themselves and will surely do so again. ECT is also given when the patent is in a catatonic state. In other words, he behaves like a log of wood and does not respond to any kind of stimuli.”
But are patients treated humanely?
“Visit the wards and you will find out that each patent is properly dressed, bathed, fed and kept well by us. They are also taught occupational therapy like making crafts and useful items.”
What about the resident patients?
“We have about 1,602 admissions. Generally, a patient admitted for treatment is released after about two weeks. However, there are about 45 admissions living permanently at the wards. They have no homes to go back to because in some cases the family does not want them back. Our oldest resident is about 90 years old. He is very much pampered by our staff and is treated very well.”