"When I first became the Social (Affairs) Minister in 2021, we released more than 2 thousand patients who were chained in West Java. We freed a total of 4,700 patients from shackles, and 50 percent of them were from West Java," she informed while releasing a medical team under the mobile treatment program from the Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDIP's) Branch Leadership Council office, Bogor district, West Java, on Thursday.
Rismaharini also earlier elaborated on the stages of treatment and recovery of mental disorder patients under her leadership at a United Nations (UN) forum.
According to her, some of the patients managed to recover by helping each other.
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"Do not ostracize them. After they recover, we provide BPJS assistance (healthcare and social security), (so) they can live a normal life like us. In some cases, they can recover. I hope we can together help them," she said.
Rismaharini, who is the former Mayor of Surabaya, said that the root of problems in the handling of mental disorder patients in many regions is the poor economic condition of their families. This situation forces their families to shackle them.
"It is mostly an economic problem. I learned that in Ende and several places, they cannot pay for health (services). We have to go there; I also helped (one patient) in Cigudeg who has hydrocephalus (accumulation of fluid in cavities deep within the brain),” she said.
Moreover, she expressed the hope that the mobile treatment program initiated by PDIP would help boost healthcare in the Bogor district area.
The program has involved the deployment of 43 ambulances for treating symptomatic diseases, conducting eye exams, and providing free eyeglasses.
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Translator: M Setiawan, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
