Home of Hope for the Psychiatrically Ill

KMC's new initiative 'Hombelaku' || Photo Courtesy: Aditya Ramachandran

Manipal: Hombelaku, Kasturba Medical College’s (KMC) new initiative to provide homes for the Chronic Psychiatrically ill, started on Jan 7th.

The centre provides short to long term stay facilities for the mentally ill, with 34 beds and a campus placed on a 1.5 acre plot on the hillside facing a valley near End Point, thus providing a serene and pleasant atmosphere which is integral to the development process of the patients. Children who are born with mental retardation and intellectual difficulties are already placed in a different place called 'Asare' which was started in August the previous year.

The doctors and officials involved with the new venture prefer to call it a multi-disciplinary project as the centre brings Medical trainers from different disciplines from the College.

The major objective of Hombelaku is to improve quality of life for the ill and also to provide basic training sessions that allow them to better their future at least in the slightest of manner, like being able to maintain their intake of food and hygiene-related activities.The rehab is majorly for the adults from the age of 18 who face grievous problems in the form of negative motivation, amongst others.

Dr Jareesha T, who is a part of the new program and a lecturer from the Psychiatry department of KMC, called Hombaleku the ‘Dream Project’ of Dr PSVN Sharma, Head of Department, Psychiatry.

When asked if there is any endeavour to help the mentally ill adults who are not in the position to pay up the initial deposit and monthly fee of Rs 5000 to enroll in the program, Jareesha replied saying, “We have just started the initiative and currently there is no idea to integrate such a service that is cost free for the poor, although we do plan to reduce the deposit rates eventually.”

Although the initiative has not yet found any patients, it plans to provide the highest quality in clinical care and a nurturing environment for healing. 

The activities for the mentally ill include Cognitive Remediation, Social Skills Enhancement, Behavioral Intervention, all of which seem normal and simple for public but prove to be difficult tasks for the patients and their trainers.

Sub-edited by: Kerban Billimoria