THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three years have passed since the foundation stone was laid for the construction of halfway homes, a facility that accommodates patients who survived mental health problems before reuniting them with society. The project being implemented by the Kerala Social Security Mission under the social justice department and the health department at Mental Health Centre, Peroorkada, is supposed to have modern facilities. Though a master plan was formulated by KITCO Ltd and the construction is under way, hospital authorities claim that the project is taking too long to materialise due to the apathy of the agencies concerned.
The estimated cost of the project is Rs 50 lakh. The construction is being done by the Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development (COSTFORD). “The halfway homes will act as a second home for the patients before being shifted to their respective institutions. Patients’ family members can stay with them while they undergo treatment. It will help the patients adjust better,” said Anil Kumar L, superintendent, Mental Health Center, Peroorkada. The halfway homes can accommodate a maximum of 25 patients. It will have counsellors who assist the patient as well as their families, Anil added.
According to the hospital authorities, nine zones were demarcated in the master plan for setting up a museum and separate wards for males and females, based on a survey conducted by KITCO Ltd. Currently, the Mental Health Centre has a total bed capacity of 531, but on an average over 25 patients register at the outpatient facility every day.
“Though funds were allotted for the project and KITCO Ltd had demanded two per cent of the total cost of the project as consultation fee, no further discussions were held regarding the progress of the work,” said Anil. He added that the centre is struggling to manage the increasing number of patients now. The halfway homes and new facilities would help more patients, he added.
An official of the Kerala Social Security Mission, which heads the project, said the work was slowed down by technical snarls. “All that has been sorted out and it is progressing at an expedited phase now. The family short-stay home will help the patients understand their family members better and gain confidence,” he added.