WAPIZ Launches A Fund For Treatment Of Mental Illnesses-

In my two decades of community service, I have come across many issues faced by our community members – be it poverty, medical issues, dysfunctional families, old age related problems, children not looking after aged parents, loneliness, divorce, domestic violence, drug abuse etc etc. But in the past 3 years I am seeing that it is cases of mental illness that are increasing at an alarming rate and requiring our immediate attention.

WAPIZ started the Helping Hands for Seniors Project one year ago. In this one year the cases we have seen have shocked us. Apart from dementia and Alzheimer’s which are old age related illnesses, we are encountering many younger persons suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, persons with anger management issues and acute depression.

Mental health or rather the lack of it is very prevalent. At the same time it is a very sensitive issue and has to be handled as such. Unfortunately it has been swept under the carpet for many years, but now it’s time to address this issue head on and try to help all those who are unable to deal with the problem on their own.

Many in our community are unmarried, many are without children – most persons who are exhibiting behaviour that requires intervention have no support system, they lack financial capability to pay for any psychiatric treatment or counselling. That, coupled with the neglect due to the perceived stigma associated with mental illness, results in most cases spiralling into acute mental illness, which then requires institutionalisation in a psychiatric facility.

We have different cases of persons who have tried to burn down their kitchen, who bring roadside beggar women home,  eat the peeling paint from walls, are violent to their family members. One wife was so scared of her schizophrenic violent husband that she barely slept at night, scared that he would strangle her in a fit of rage. Another roamed the streets in dirty clothes with hair and nails uncut for years. Some have suicidal tendencies and harm themselves. Many have no concept of personal hygiene and live in horrific, unsanitary conditions, others howl and shout at night, while some others just don’t respond.

Many are labelled as “salo gando che”, “bheju nathi” and very few are receiving any treatment or help. Most families are clueless and just don’t know how to deal with such persons. Even if they are aware of what to do, they can rarely afford the treatment. A good counsellor charges Rs 2000 to 4000/- minimum for a single session. For  counselling to be effective, multiple sessions over a long period of time are required. Which middle class family can afford this?

Many colony Associations, neighbours, well-wishers and at times families approach me and WAPIZ to help them find some long term solution for such individuals who are mostly alone and have no finances, nor any family support.

The monthly cost at a Psychiatric facility in proper Mumbai exceeds Rs 1 lakh a month and at privately run facilities in Thane, Pune the cost is in the range of Rs 40,000 to 50,000 per month and the duration is mostly for 6 – 8 months minimum. Even after that, monitoring the person and ensuring that the patient takes his/ her prescribed medicines without a break is a challenge especially when the person is staying alone and has no support system.

Most of the persons we have met are single, staying alone or with a sibling and have financial constraints. As a community, we have no psychiatric facility/ ward for our community members in Parsi General Hospital or anywhere else.

Alzheimer’s and dementia are incurable diseases which progressively get worse. The family goes through hell not knowing what to do. I can totally relate to it as my father-in-law and later, my mom, suffered from it. Even though we were blessed to financially be able to provide every facility for them – adequately sized home with a separate room for them, round-the-clock wardboys, a nurse at a later stage, it was emotionally and psychologically very difficult to deal with an alzheimer’s patient at home. Therefore, I can fully understand and empathise with families that are coping with an aged parent/ relative who is suffering from dementia or alzhiemer’s.

Presently WAPIZ is taking responsibility for garnering funds for 5 persons through various Trusts and individuals. The BPP has taken the responsibility of looking after 2 such individuals. But applications have to be made to various Trusts to meet their expenses. I prepare the applications, speak to Trustees of various Trusts and till now the payments are being managed. Trusts such as the Bai Maneckbai Jeejeebhoy Fund managed by Ms. Persis Vatcha, WZO and Bandra Convalescent Home have been really supportive, as have some individual donors.

However, almost every month a case surfaces where you need to admit the person to a psychiatric facility. Two examples are that of Gershasp, whose case we had highlighted earlier. Though initially admitted to Parukh Dharamshala he had to be shifted within one month to Humanversity, a psychiatric facility in Thane. A middle aged lady who was getting violent with family members and outsiders needed to be urgently admitted also. WAPIZ has also taken the responsibility of Aspi Uncle who was wandering the streets of Grant Road as a vagabond and is now being treated at home by a psychiatrist.

While we are always ready to take on the responsibility of looking after community members like those mentioned above, it has become necessary to ensure a stable, permanent fund base in order to provide uninterrupted treatment to those that need it.

WAPIZ has recently received a sizeable donation from the Estate of Mr. Jal Sethna through the good offices of Executor Mr. Jimmy Kelawalla and we have decided to earmark it to initiate a Fund for treatment of Mental illness. We appeal to the community to support us in enhancing this Fund, as it has in the past for all our other projects.

With your support, we can help many more individuals with mental illnesses, in the future.

If you know of any person who needs help with a mental illness, call us on 9820113791 and we will do our best to help them.

Anahita Desai

Trustee, WAPIZ