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There is probably no worse calamity that can so devastatingly affect
anyone as being mentally ill. The ideal aspired to by Juvenal, as far
back as the 1st century A.D. of 'A sound body in a sound mind', probably
remains unchanged today. The reverse, especially in Sri Lanka, could be
a horrendous reality, at the present time.
Mental illness seems to be one health condition that ordinary people
cannot cope with... whether they are even husbands, wives, parents,
siblings, children or friends. Even a cursory visit to Freedom House,
situated in Oswald Gomis Mawatha, Kelaniya, will prove this, beyond any
doubt.
All the residents here have been discharged from our premier mental
hospital at Angoda, presumably because they are deemed to be over the
worst of their mental condition, though they are still in need of
long-term, ongoing medication.
There are 25 men and 20 women (ages from, 50 to 15 years, with one 70
year old too!) all crowded into this home, probably, one of the few
places that welcomes them with love, in spite of their being rejected by
their own families.
Sagarika Perera and her capable assistant attempt to accomplish the
Herculean task of caring for these patients on a voluntary basis,
extending to them, probably the only affection they have ever
experienced.
However, she has to depend almost entirely on the variable goodwill
of benefactors, even for their daily food requirements, as they don't
have any regular income whatsoever.
All the patients need regular and on-going medication to function
with even a semblance of normality. They obtain only this free of
charge, from the clinic they attend regularly, as they are officially
registered as being mentally ill.
Apart from this, there is no grant from either the Ministry of Health
or the Local Authority to finance all their other basic needs. Unless
they are lucky enough to get a dana, their diet is very basic... i.e.
rice with pol-sambol or dhal or soya curry.
Some of them are from upper middle class families, and speak
nostalgically of doctors, engineers, business people etc. to whom they
claim close kinship. Others recall the responsible jobs they once held
in banks, commercial establishments, the Police Force etc.
Many were once functioning parents, spouses, had siblings and
children and were used to home comforts. Hence eating the somewhat
spartan diet Sagarika is able to afford, probably keeps their hunger at
bay but it must make their mental condition worse as they crave for
little treats... even biscuits, cakes and pancakes.
They have minimal clothes and under-wear and they need even soap and
hair-oil. The home is desperately short of mattresses, pillows, sheets,
towels, proper kitchen equipment etc. Indoor games and even basic items
like balls etc. will be of immense therapeutic value.
Most of all, they need people to visit, talk and show an interest in
them, so that they don't feel they are the dregs of not only their
families but of society too.
RITA PERERA
Railway authorities should be congratulated for allocating newly
fitted train compartments to the rail travelling public. But pregnant
mothers are not very happy with these new compartments, as their seats
are not marked for them.
In the old railway compartments, there were two seats marked (in each
compartment) and reserved for pregnant mothers and clergy, for which
they had a right to demand. But in new compartments recently, I saw two
pregnant mothers standing while young and strong were happily seated -
chatting and playing cards.
One of the pregnant mothers told me that railway authorities have not
taking any action so far, regarding their seating arrangements.
Unlike the good old days, where common courtesy was the keyword in
public travelling, young men these days do not have the common decency
and kindness to offer their seats to mothers to be or the feeble.
They pretend to have fallen asleep when they see a pregnant mother or
an old person getting in, to avoid the inconvenience of standing.
A public notice will open their eyes.
Therefore, the railway authorities should put up these notices
immediately to assist mothers to be. This will be a great service to
mothers to be - who should be protected and well cared at all times - it
is our culture.
G. A. DE SILVA, Kesbewa
I was much delighted to read in the newspaper a few months back thus:
A new pension scheme will be launched especially for senior citizens.'
It has been already launched now.
When will it be implemented fully. The salary anomalies payment for
pensioners was launched many years back. What a lot died before getting
it.
What a lot are still suffering without getting it.
The main objective of this senior citizen pension scheme is to uplift
the living conditions of senior citizens who are destitute due to
economic hardships and negligence of their children.
Everybody appreciates that this should be a well planned and creative
masterpiece. The authorities should start paying. How many pensioners
are suffering? There are some paid without delay in some offices. Is
delay due to heavy work and prompt payment due to luck?
The policy of the Government to pay the anomaly to the pensioners
early is not heeded. It should be inquired into and if the delay is due
to heavy work, some remedy to pay overtime and clear the work should be
done. The work should be decentralised. There are so many ways of
solving the problem.
The senior citizen pension scheme launched on International day was
published. The accountant and the clerical officers should rise to the
occasion and toe in line with the policies of the Government.
These officers who attend to these payments will one day be
pensioners and will like to get their dues early. So now they should
expedite the present pensioners' anomaly and other payments.
There should be salvation for all pensioners before their deaths. The
authorities can accelerate the administrative machinery and complete the
work very early.
S. A. MASILAMANY, Colombo 6
A visit to the zoo with family after a lapse of about 20 years was
rather disappointing. Considering the levels of maintenance and
cleanliness comparatively with other zoos in some parts of the world,
ours definetly comes within those standards.
However, a few more litter boxes within short distances would
certainly help the place being kept more cleaner. This is in no way a
shortcoming of the authorities, but due to an acute sickness of our own
people.
What was more alarming and not acceptable by any means was that sign
boards indicating the inmates of the cages and directions of the
pathways were only in English and Sinhala.
Surveying around, without any exaggeration, the crowd present on that
day which happened to be Sunday and a Poya Day as well, were mostly
Muslims, Tamils even from the estate population and Sinhalese in that
order; with a scattering of foreigners.
We have still not learnt lessons after experiencing conflicts for
over a quarter century. There is, I believe, legislation for the use of
Tamil as well. If so, why this treatment to a section of our own people?
Are the Tamil people even denied to know who occupies the cages in a
zoo?
This is not the fault of the Government yesterday or today, but those
people who create more problems when simple solutions are readily
available.
Immediate steps should be taken by the concerned authorities to
rectify these sign boards to be read in all three languages. Failing
which, an organisation or a business entity should step in as a venture
under their CSR project.
What purpose does it serve in appointing Commissions etc. when simple
solutions are easily available to defuse to some extent complicated
problems? What a shame!
HILMI FAROUK, Rajagiriya
School leaving youngsters and their parents are lured by Deck Officer
training which sounds something close to Cadet Officer training,
although there is no recruitment on board any ship straight away for
Deck Officers but deckhands.
There is also a doubt about the existence of a post or designation as
Deck Officer on board any ship, other than a glorified Sri Lankan
creation to entice youngsters and parents.
To support Sagara Vidyalaya and its trainees, our Navy or our
Department of Fisheries when recruiting qualified hands for employment
should first of all indicate in their notices calling for applications
the requirement of successful completion of Sagara Vidyalaya Deck
Officer training course as an eligibility qualification.
Over 40 years ago when the Government Employment Exchange was
functioning, Labour Officers met employers of high standing from
Government and private companies or establishments and got orders for
employment in various fields and supplied from registered qualified
unemployed a sufficient number of them for final selection.
There appears to be some similar effort by the principal of the
Sagara Vidyalaya with shipping companies and their agents for the above
trainees employment, but it is not enough without expected support
expressed above.
However, it is expected by now the principal and the parents have now
opened the eyes of the trainees about the advantages of beginning life
the hard way which goes with the saying learn to obey before you start
commanding or learn to scrub, clean and maintain decks as deckhands
before you become officers.
May the appropriate authorities take meaningful action on the above
shortcomings.
Y. AMARASENA DE SILVA, Ahungalla
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