Look after the mentally ill
Dear Editor,
I regret the recent death of another mentally ill person shot by the police.
Sir, the mentally ill can be challenging to deal with, especially if one is untrained in that area. So many times, the mentally ill go on the rampage at home and relatives resort to calling the police. I believe that our police are not trained to handle such situations. If they were, reports such as that which happened in St Elizabeth would not be common.
The Ministry of Health has a responsibility towards the mentally ill. Hence, a mental health officer should be the first to be called. They are trained and know how to handle such situations. The police should never visit these scenes without a mental health officer in tow. This is one of the things I think the force should demand.
On the other hand, the health ministry could have a look at the following suggestions: have a mental health officer registered in each clinic zone, provide a mental health officer for the zone, provide an emergency number to reach a mental health officer, and educate families/caregivers and the community on the challenges of mental illness. Education would help to lessen, prevent and protect all concerned from harm.
More than one deathcould have occurred from that rampage. Let us be proactive in order to save lives.
Val Mac
vj0963@msn.com
