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10%
of Lankans psychologically ill
By
Kushali Atukorale
Approximately 10% of the population in Sri Lanka is suffering
from some kind of mental illness, acting Director General
of Health Service, Dr. Terrance de Silva claimed.
Speaking at a workshop titled Making Mental Health a Global
Priority yesterday, Dr. de Silva said that the number of mental
patients has increased to this level, due to the present situation
in the country: “Ongoing war in the north, poverty, unemployment
and insufficient income are the main reasons that cause mental
illnesses.”
Dr. de Silva further said that one of the main causes behind
the lack of development in the mental health sector is the
lesser number of doctors, consultants, specialists and nurses
in the field. “Therefore, we need more manpower to develop
the mental health sector in this country in order to see to
the needs of the people who are suffering from various kind
of mental illnesses,” he added.
Despite the lack of resources, the Healthcare Ministry has
been able to set up Social Support Centres around the country
where patients with psychological ailments would be able to
receive treatment, the doctor pointed out.
“So far, we have done our best to support such patients,
although they are not forthcoming about the illnesses. This
is due to the fear that they would be discriminated against
by the society,” he said.
Dr. De Silva added that not only Health authorities, but also
the media and the public have an important role play in this
regard.
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