There are no facilities to treat the mentally ill

Dear Editor,

Commendations to Minister Manickchand for taking the initiative to address abuse in Guyana. I have been following the news of the consultations and the suggestions made to halt this disease. Most are concerned with punishing the abusers but what they need to address also is the next generation. It is known that a child who grows up watching his father abusing/beating his mother may end up doing the same. How do we stop this happening?

Rarely is one born abusive-it is a learnt behaviour. Why people commit these horrible acts is what we should also address. People have serious mental problems in Guyana and where can they get help? There is no proper mental health facility. We constantly read of people “tripping out” and then committing heinous crimes; for example, the man who allegedly slept with the corpse of his victim and the other man who severed the head of another.

People “tripping out” seems to be acceptable behaviour in Guyana but when people “trip out” it is a very serious situation. We are allowing mentally sick people to operate without any consequences/monitoring in our society and no one seems to be concerned about the tragic results. There are many mentally ill persons roaming the streets of Georgetown for example, and no one seems to care even though these people have attacked people many times.

Isn’t it time we addressed this situation? We can lock up all the paedophiles/molesters/rapists/abusers but what about the next generation? We need to establish mental health institutions in all the regions and have qualified people in charge. Mental health is not something that one can treat lightly. There are many mental disorders that affect people-anger management, bipolar disorders, etc. Some people need medication to help them normalise the chemical imbalances in their brains that causes them to behave in an irrational manner. A number of reasons causes these imbalances-sometimes just a sudden death in the family can make someone imbalanced. There are several qualified Guyanese abroad who are working to help people with mental problems-Professor Harold Persaud in New Jersey and Dr Latchman Narain in Toronto are two of them.

It is time Guyana that we try to address this situation-over to you Minister Manikchand.

Yours faithfully,

N Sahadeo