CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, has pointed out that persons with mental disorders are no less human and, despite their state of well-being, should be treated with dignity instead of disgust.

He made the appeal at a rally, on Monday, in the National Psychiatric Hospital (NPH) compound in Greater New Amsterdam, to mark the beginning of Mental Health Month being observed under the theme ‘Depression, a global crisis’.
He asked the audience:”Have you ever been angry or wanted to assault someone or were you extremely sad and wanted to give up?”
Answering the questions, he said: “Then, if you did, you are a candidate for a day’s treatment at the mental health institution.”
Mahadeo continued: “You do not know what takes you to the breaking point. But you, sometimes, get there. Having mental health problems do not make you less a human, as the needs are the same.”
He emphasised that the NPH is not a prison. “We do not bring them here to lock them down. This is a hospital. They will be treated and sent away and the society will have to embrace them.”
With dignity
“Why should it be different for the mentally ill?” the doctor questioned, adding: “We need to accept that mental illness can happen to anyone and, as such, we should treat people with the dignity they deserve.”
He encouraged the gathering, including students from public and private learning institutions as well as various categories of health workers, to change their attitude, even as the BRHA is continuing to take mental health to the primary health care facilities where symptoms of anxiety and depression are being managed in the initial stages.
Additionally, the NPH, which is the lone mental health institution in Guyana, is expected to be the beneficiary of $10M from the National Treasury, to improve living standards and prevent flooding, Mahadeo informed.
Meanwhile, the melodious rendition by Ruth Ann Azore, captured attention with the song ‘Thank you Lord, for your blessing on me,’ sang and emphasised ‘I‘ve got a roof up above me and a good place to sleep. I have food on my table and shoes on my feet. You gave me your love, Lord and a fine family. Thank you Lord for your blessings on me’.
An encore was requested and, when rendered, allowed persons to reflect and be grateful for their status in life.
Other cultural presentations by inmates included an acrostic on the words mental health and a poem on the disadvantage of smoking ‘dope’ and ‘coke’.

Mental Health Month raises public awareness about the issue and promotes open discussion of resulting disorders and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services.
Amongst other planned activities are visits to secondary schools, panel discussions, a concert and a tour.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages, in all communities and is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease.
Although there are known effective treatments for it, access to treatment is a problem in most countries and, in some, fewer than 10 percent of those who need it receive any.
According to the WHO, mental health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being component, including the organisation’s definition of health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.’
It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders and the treatment and rehabilitation of people so affected, the world body said.