TRU recently conducted another mental health camp in Halol on Sunday, March 27. This camp was attended by some 200 patients, 57 of themwere new. The patients came from mainly 3 Primary Health Center (PHC) areas - Arad, Kanjari and Rameshra in Halol Taluka. The attending psychiatrist was Dr. Pinal Gandhi, M.D.. The helping hands in these camps are provided by ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists), who are govt. health workers trained in the mental health program by TRU, Village Level Guides, selected by TRU to work as a link person in every PHC area, and TRU's own community health workers.

Care-givers Meet

Along with patient check-ups, a very important part of the camp is the care-givers meet, where the participants are patients relatives, other health workers and friends. Here, TRU resource persons talk about causes and treatments of mental diseases along with how to care for the patients, the role of medicines and other related aspects. A major goal of such a meet is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses in the society, which prevents families from accepting the mentally ill.

Old and New

Mental health patients are marginalized even within the marginalized sections of the society. The solidarity and support among this community of mental health patients is very visible. One of the most heartening aspect of this particular health camp was that a number of patients, who have improved through this program brought new patients to the camp. Some patients like Dalpatbhai Jashvantbhai of Rameshra do it regularly. He brings at least one new patient along every time he comes to the OPD for his follow up or medicine.

Stigma reduction for the mentally ill is a long and an arduous process. However, progress is being made slowly but surely. A telling sign of which was a folk healer traditionally tasked with removing mental illness using black magic, being present at the camp. He came to seek help and medicine from the program for himself.