CHENNAI: It was a typical Tamil wedding. From colourful kolams, silk sarees, and a banana leaf feast with a dessert, the usually quiet walkway of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Kilpauk, echoed with drumbeats.
Large crowds including staff and mediapersons gathered to witness the heart-warming bond between P Mahendran (42) and SM Deepa (36), as they tied the knot at the Vinayagar temple, just outside the campus. After all, it was within that campus, they found love back in 2020 when they sought mental health care.
The key personality behind the wedding party was Dr Poornachandrika P, director of the institute. She was very particular all guests get a Thamboola pai (the sendoff gift bag). She even calls it Enga Veetu Kalyanam (our family wedding).
Health Minister M Subramanian, the surprise chief guest at the event, handed over job offers of ward managers at the institute to the couple. The request was made by Villivakkam MLA Vetri Azhagan. Soon, the couple will get a monthly salary of Rs 15,000 each.
Amid the buzz over their unconventional love story, the marriage also sheds light on the need for proper support systems in place for people with mental illnesses (PWMI). Stigma lurked in the background of the otherwise celebratory event. Despite the large crowds, very few relatives of the couple attended the ceremony. Many have disassociated themselves, said healthcare providers at the institute, remarking that discrimination is one of the challenges that persons with mental health issues face.
M Bhaskar, a childhood friend of the groom and a male nurse at the facility for 18 years, recalled, “When Mahendran first recognised me at the institute, he held me tight and broke into tears, as he has no shoulders to lean on.” Mahendran had recovered a year ago, but had to struggle for social inclusion. “Most of the time, relatives of patients abandon them, when we try to send them back after recovery, families won’t receive them. They board them on inter-State trains to get rid of them.”
Armed with Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application (PGDCA), M.Phil, Mahendran was also unable to find employment. “Companies declined to offer a job to Mahendran and one tried to eextract work from him without pay. Despite his studious nature, many refused to take him in due to the stigma attached to the mental illness,” Bhaskar said.
Like several former patients, Mahendran worked at daycare centre at IMH. Some work at the IMH canteen. He said, “I got another job offer at a private firm for a higher pay, but decided to stay here to serve back to society, to help inmates to get back to family, and lead an independent life.”
Poornachandrika said that there should be coordination between various departments to ensure that rehabilitated persons are providing housing and employment or financial assistance, and establishing more rehab homes across the State.
"According to Mental Health Act 2017, patients who are beyond six months in a mental health establishment without serious conditions need to be placed in a community-based rehabilitation care." she added.