REHABILITATION CENTRE FOR MENTAL PATIENTS STARTED BY MEDICAL COLLEGE STUDENTS
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| ‘Nanma’ , students from Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram |
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A group of students from Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram who used to visit Mental Hospital at Oolampara and treat the patients there, once came across a mentally unbalanced North Indian youth near their campus. When they took him to the Hospital, the authorities refused to admit him citing rules that say that only close relatives or friends can entrust a patient at the Mental Hospital.
The students went to the High Court and obtained a ruling in their favour and admitted the youth at the hospital as a ‘friend’.
This resulted in the birth of their rehabilitation organization ‘Nanma’ with about 30 students and house surgeons as active members.
They initiated a survey of mentally deranged vagabonds in the city. “60% of them come from outside Kerala and 70% are women”, says Smita T. Krishnan, a 3rd year student of BDS and President of the organization.
On getting new patients from the streets, ‘Nanma’ bathe them and feed them before sending them to Oolampara for treatment. There is now a ‘Nanma’ ward at the hospital. The patients discharged from there are taken care of at the Nanma Rehabilitation Centre at Pettah.
There are at present 15 inmates at the Centre. The monthly expense of the Centre comes to Rs.20000. The students are hopeful that the money will come somehow.
After a brief stay at the Centre, the youth from North India recollected that he was Naval Singh from Bhopal. That paved the way for his eventual return and reunion with family.
Dr. G.Velayudhan is the patron of Nanma.
Courtesy: Shajan Scaria, Mathrubhumi, January 23, 2002
Contributed by: Administrator
