Mental Health:Pioneering in Mental Health in the State of Odisha
Peoples Forum today is recognized as one of the pioneer organizations working on the issue of mental health in the State of Odisha. It is till date the only organization of its kind in the Eastern part of the Country that support mentally ill destitute women.
Various statistics suggest that one in four people in the world suffer from mental or neurological disorder in their lifetime. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide. Treatments are available, but nearly two-thirds of people with a known mental disorder never seek help from a health professional. Stigma, discrimination and neglect prevent care and treatment from reaching people with mental disorders, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Where there is neglect, there is little or no understanding. Where there is no understanding, there is neglect.
The magnitude of mental health burden is not matched by the size and effectiveness of the response it demands. Currently, more than 33% of countries allocate less than 1% of their total health budgets to mental health, with another 33% spending just 1% of their budgets on mental health. A limited range of medicines is sufficient to treat the majority of mental disorders. About 25% of countries, however, do not have the three most commonly prescribed drugs used to treat schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy at the primary health care level. There is only one psychiatrist per 100 000 people in over half the countries in the world, and 40% of countries have less than one hospital bed reserved for mental disorders per 10 000 people.
The poor often bear the greater burden of mental disorders, both in terms of the risk in having a mental disorder and the lack of access to treatment. Constant exposure to severely stressful events, dangerous living conditions, exploitation, and poor health in general all contribute to the greater vulnerability of the poor. The lack of access to affordable treatment makes the course of the illness more severe and debilitating, leading to a vicious circle of poverty and mental health disorders that is rarely broken.
Community Health:This is an initiative to reach out to urban slum dwellers and outdoor patients and provide support for general health issues, mental problems and cataract treatment.
Community Health:This is an initiative to reach out to urban slum dwellers and outdoor patients and provide support for general health issues, mental problems and cataract treatment.
National Urban Health Mission People's Forum is working as NGO partner for National Urban Health Mission to provide support in the field of community mobilization, demand generation and community engagement. The area of operation is Dhenknal and Slums of Bhubaneswar. In Dhenkanal the organization is covering 10 wards ( ward 13- ward 23), about 600 Households. In Bhubaneswar approx 6000 HHs are covered targeting about 23,000 population in 36 slums.
As NGO partner the Organization is playing proactive role in the following spheres
About National Urban Health Mission - National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) as a sub mission of National Health Mission (NHM) was approved by the Cabinet on 1st May 2013. It envisages to meet health care needs of the urban population with the focus on urban health care needs of the urban population, by making available to them essential primary health care services and reducing their out of pocket expenses for treatment. This is mainly achieved by strengthening the existing health care service delivery system, targeting the people living in slums and converging with various schemes relating to wider determinants of health like drinking water, sanitation, school education etc implemented by the Ministries of Urban development, Housing and Urban poverty alleviation, Human resource development and Women and child development.
The program covers all State capitals, district headquarters and cities/ towns with a population of more than 50,000. It primarily focus on slum dwellers and other marginalized groups like Rickshaw pullers, street vendors, railway and bus station coolies, homeless people, street children, construction site workers etc.
“Mental Illness is not a personal failure”- Unknown
Mission Ashra of People’s Forum, a shelter for mentally ill & destitute women are situated at Janla & Jharsuguda. Mission Ashra holds a never-ending Mission to provide immediate shelter, treatment & care to the most unsafe women who wanders on roads being unaware about their own condition.
To establish Mission Ashra as a self-managed sustainable institution for a just society in which the rights and needs of the completely marginalized are addressed without any expectations.
ObjectivesTo identify and provide immediate shelter and psychiatric treatment to women with mental illness.
To empower the distressed women economically by providing vocational training.
To set up a mental health treatment and research institution for providing all necessary support under one roof in coordination with local/state administration. It is a mission to save their dignity & put effort to rejoin them back with society. We follow a strict procedure for their healing.
Procedure Rescue , Observation , Treatment & Medication , Counselling & , Psychotherapy , Life skill training , Productive Training , Reunion , Follow up
Vocational Training:
Mission Ashra not only focuses on reintegrating the women with society but also focuses to make them eligible to lead a manageable life after reunion process. For that residents were provided with various types of vocational training:
1. Bamboo Craft.
2. Tailoring.
3. Making plates from leaves
4. Greeting card making.
” A TOTAL OF 3000 GREETING CARDS WERE SOLD LAST YEAR FROM THE FEMALE UNIT OF MISSION ASHRA JHARSUGUDA”.
Daily Activities & Re-creational activities:
We provide Yoga-meditation & prayer at morning.
We involve residents in Garden Work & also developed a kitchen garden for in-house consumption only.
We provide outdoor games for 4 days of a week & for other three days we provide dancing classes.
Exercise & Prayer at evening.
Times to time games were conducted in a competitive format & also prizes were distributed to the winners.
Mission Ashra began on 17th July 2003 in Janla, Khordha district. Current Strength is 238. Women suffering from following diseases are there:
Schizophrenia
Depression
Bipolar Mood disorder
Mentally retarded
Mild mentally retarded
Chronic schizophrenia
Mission Ashra of People’s Forum, at Jharsuguda District was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Odisha (Mr. Naveen Pattanaik) on 23rd Nov 2016 & later on 24th Nov 2016 the Greh Pravesh was done by the Collector & DM of Jharsuguda in presence of other Govt. Officials. Currently, the strength of Jharsuguda centre is 100. A rescue team of 5 people are always present with 1 Ambulance on service 24*7.
Total Reunions
More than 1000 women from both the centers of Mission Ashra.
Success Story of Sushila Khadia
38 Kg with a skeletal figure & was having some kind of skin infection. During her observation period she was less interactive/communicative & that was her behavioural effect. For her ADL, Sushila was totally dependent upon instructions as well as others involvement. During her observation period, her diet was very abnormal (low). After observation of above conditions, Sushila was diagnosed as a Schizophrenic. Proper medication was also provided to reduce her Psychological symptoms. General treatment was also provided to treat her Physical problems.
After some sessions, Sushila Khadia learnt to follow instructions & also started participating in vocational training effectively. Besides this she also involved in other works with other inmates. But her statement remained same. As her address was traced by our Mission Ashra Jharsuguda Team, we informed her family to come and receive Sushila. The reactions of family after hearing about sushila’s existence, they became astonish as they had lost all hope of getting sushila back. As per their statement sushila had started developing mental illness during her adulthood. Due to lack of attention & treatment her condition became worse. Sushila developed severe destructive behavior. She used to harm others, lost moral ideal ethics. Due to this she left her house & started wandering on roads. Her family tried to locate her, but they were unable to find her. However, they were very happy to get back Sushila. Reunion: On 15th August 2018 Sushila Khadia got reunited with her family in presence of collector & DM of Jharsuguda Dist & other govt. officials
Celebration of the year
Holi ,Christmas ,Republic Day ,Foundation Day ,Independence Day ,Raja , Diwali Karthik Purnima