‘City lacks facilities for mentally-challenged’

The government homes often lack facilities for these women and children, forcing the police and the CWC to send the rescued persons to private organisations. 

“The government does not pay heed to such problems. CWC gets a number of cases of mentally unstable children and women roaming the streets. However, as we lack facilities, we try to accommodate them in private organisations. We wish the government took this issue seriously,” said Zaheeruddin Mohammad, member of CWC, Kancheepuram, adding that it was the duty of the government to take responsibility. 

Recently, Vinodhini, a 20-yearold woman with mental disability, was picked up by the police from Tambaram. Lacking a facility to offer shelter to such persons, the CWC sent her to a home, Rehoboth, in Mangadu. “When Vinodhini was sent here, she wasn’t talking at all. After medication and a day’s sleep, she started singing, and eventually told us she lived in T Nagar and described the theatres and buildings that were near her home. But she was unable to give us any details in terms of a contact number,” said Zoraida Samuel, founder and social worker of Rehoboth.

In this case, the police managed to trace Vinodhini’s family members. “We have asked her parents to bring documents to CWC, Kancheepuram, before we can allow them to take her back,” added Zaheeruddin. Another mentally disabled woman, who was eight months pregnant probably after being raped, was also rescued from the streets and taken Rehoboth. The woman delivered a child a week ago, Zaheeruddin said, adding that it would have been easier to provide shelter to these women and children if there were more government homes.

“We have a government home or government-funded NGO homes in each district in the state except in The Nilgiris. However, they are all homes for the mentally ill in general, with no specific focus for the woman and child,” said Arun Roy, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. “We will however be taking this issue and matters pertaining to funds for transfer of the rescued to the homes on February 1, in a meeting that I will be convening,” he added. Another serious challenge that the activists and officials are facing is getting the support of local police. “We try our best to help trace their families, which would have been easier if we got better cooperation from the police. While we are able to trace families in other states, finding families within the city is proving to be extremely challenging,” said another official from the organisation.