Yerawada mental hospital inmate gets a job offer, five other reunite with family
The 40-bed ward, set up by Dr Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, with the help of Parivartan trust, completes a year on Thursday.
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Devrai, a ward set up at Regional Mental Hospital at Yerawada to rehabilitate inmates, completes a year on on Thursday.
Devrai, a ward at the Regional Mental Hospital at Yerawada set up a year ago to rehabilitate mentally-ill patients after their recovery, has not only helped reunite five patients with their families so far, but has also helped one of them secure a job at an Akurdi-based HR firm.
The 40-bed ward, set up by Dr Hamid Dabholkar, son of slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, with the help of Parivartan trust, completes a year on Thursday.
To celebrate the occasion, Manas Rang, a theatre group formed by the mentally ill patients, will perform a skit at the hospital. “Our team got trained by noted theatre director and actor Atul Pethe and Raju Inamdar (from his team) for the purpose,” Dabholkar said.
“Theatre, use of song, drama can help in disseminating information about emotions like fear, hysteria and mental illnesses like schizophrenia. People can get a wider understanding about the hurdles patients face,” Pethe said.
Dabholkar said patients were also trained about how to communicate their issues. Venting out their emotions in front of an audience can also help build up their self-esteem and self-confidence, he said.
Dr Bhalchandra Donglikar, superintendent of the mental hospital that has 1,691 patients, said the team at Devrai ward helped them for a livelihood activity.
“Once we feel they are stable and can work in the community while returning to the hospital, such patients will be allowed to get jobs,” he said.
According to Jai Adawadkar, clinical services coordinator with INCENSE, an initiative by Parivartan to rehabilitate mental ill patients, the patient who has secured a job now is 43 years old.
“Three years ago, his sister admitted him to the hospital as he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Now, despite him being stable, his sister refuses to get him discharged. The 43-year-old has 15 years of experience in the mechanical industry and has worked with softwares like Autocad and others. Our new initiative at Devrai has now helped him find a suitable job,” says Adawadkar.
The owner of the Akurdi-based HR firm will also be present at the function.
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