The Asian Human Rights Commission has reliable information regarding the violation of the basic human rights of psychiatric patients in the mental health wards in Colombo and elsewhere in Sri Lanka.
Following are some of the violations:
- Patients are systematically given shock treatment (ECT) as it is cheaper than antipsychotic drugs. Whenever they are asked what they want from overseas the response of the psychiatrists is “a new ECT machine”. This treatment settles the patients for about 3-4 days and then they are back to being shocked.
- Patients are beaten when perceived as unmanageable.
- Patients are tied to their beds or wall hooks when perceived as unmanageable.
- Food that is given by visitors is taken away. Patients walk around with a 1/4 loaf of bread in their hands as their evening meal when the government provides adequate money for a better meal.
- Items given (like sewing machines) as occupational therapy are used by staff to run their own small businesses from the ward (patch work, quilt making) while patients are not occupied, and their behaviour is not managed, and then they are subjected to inhuman restrictive practices.
- Food that is provided by the family on a day out is taken away by staff. Any meat is confiscated and plain buns are given instead as the staff say that the meat will not agree with the patients. (Observers have noticed that the meat is not thrown away but taken away by staff in bags).
- Soap and basics provided to maintain hygiene are taken away by staff (and pieces of Sunlight (inexpensive local soap) is provided instead which reacts badly with the skin of the patients giving rise to added problems).
These things are actually happening and the information is reported by credible NGO staff, Mental health professionals and support persons.
What is worse is these atrocities are happening to an extremely vulnerable section of the community who cannot advocate for themselves. All they can do is plead with their relatives to remove them from the wards. However they are not believed and considered delusional by their families. Also the families are scared to remove them as they are not sure how to handle the patient at home.
What becomes clear from this information is that the psychiatrists, nurses and attendants are abusing these patients and obviously see this group as anything but human.
On several occasions mental health organisations have taken up these issues but the results have been negative. What happens in the end is that the staff of such organisations are prevented from visiting the wards and hence are unable to monitor the situation or act as a deterrent against this behaviour. As a result the organisations stopped pursuing this legal action in order that they would be able to continue visiting the wards. However, sadly they believe that there is much that happens when they are not around.
The situation of the treatment of psychiatric patients needs to be investigated and the practices that prevail at the moment need to be prevented. The AHRC urges you to take appropriate action on this matter.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Basil Fernando
Executive Director
Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong
