Page 19 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2021-22
P. 19

OF
                                                                                                                             HOPE



                                                          Udaan is a beacon of hope for

                                              individuals struggling with mental illnesses



                      The  social  stigma  surrounding  mental  health  illnesses  in  India   Following a similar incident, Sadik’s family was advised to visit
                      continues to prevent constructive and much-needed healthcare     the Regional Mental Hospital in Nagpur (RMHN) to get help,

                      delivery in the field, as does the absence of supporting and      where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The family had to
                      accessible infrastructure. This was the primary reason for Sadik   discontinue treatment after some time, given the time and
                      Ali Shah’s (name changed) illness remaining undiagnosed and      expense involved in travelling to RHMN on a regular basis.
                      untreated for years. His family’s poor financial condition and
                      negligible access to mental health resources at the primary care   But a  chance visit to  the  sub-district  hospital  in Kamptee  put
                      level further worsened his condition.                            Sadik’s mother in touch with an ASHA worker who made the
                                                                                       family aware about the ongoing District Mental Health

                      A resident of Kamptee in Nagpur, Sadik lost his father at an early   Programme (DMHP) being run under Tata Trusts’ Udaan—an
                      age. Having had a troubled childhood, he was forced to start     innovative  health initiative—to help  the Maharashtra state
                      earning a living from the age of 12 years to support his family of   government  develop  and  implement  critically  needed  mental
                      four,  including his  mother and  three siblings. He  found      health programmes. As a result, Sadik was able to resume regular
                      employment in nearby factories and as a result missed out on any   visits to the hospital for check-ups and counselling, as well as
                      formal education.                                                procure his regular dose of medication.


                      Around the age of 16, Sadik started experiencing certain         This has resulted in a huge di erence in Sadik’s condition, with
                      psychotic symptoms, including lethargy, unconsciousness,         most of his psychotic symptoms having subsided. He has also

                      irritability, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, etc. His family found   started working again at a nearby factory, and is in regular touch
                      him muttering to himself and claiming to hear voices that others   with the Udaan team, who continue to conduct psychosocial
                      around him could not. In the absence of any formal clinical      counselling with him, along with making his family more aware
                      examination and given his family’s general lack of awareness     about his condition and the importance of family support,
                      about how to address his illness, Sadik’s condition exacerbated,   maintaining regular medicine intake, and physical exercise for his
                      and he took to wandering aimlessly, very often losing his bearings   eventual recovery.
                      and having to be located and brought back home.







                        3  GOOD HEALTH AND
                           WELL-BEING
                        PROJECT ALIGNS WITH SDG




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