Plight of mentally ill persons

The mentally ill are part of the society and deserve more than being neglected.

In some quarters, mentally ill persons are given less or no family support at all, thus leaving their situation to get worse day by day.

We appreciate the efforts of key partners helping the country and government in supporting and caring for the mentally ill.

One such institution is Tanka Tanka  Psychiatry Hospital and we commend it for the good work, while urging those running the hospital to keep up the momentum.

We are happy that the Minister has visited the hospital during her tour of health facilities in order to gather first-hand information about the place, and also to address their concerns.

The plight of mentally ill persons should be taken seriously, because these are people living with us, so we should not stigmatize them in society.

It is high time for society to take good care of the mentally ill and give them the necessary support they deserve, instead of isolating them.

The notion people have of the mentally ill is bad; and the attitude of society towards them is not in the least encouraging. People always think that for somebody to be sent to Tanka Tanka means the end of the individual’s useful life in society.

We would also like to thank The Netherlands ambassador based in Dakar for his personal support to the institution.

This will further complement government efforts in addressing the needs of the mentally ill in the country.

Once again, we urge the public to keep support this segment of the society.