Bob CollinsThis is what mental health care looks like in Indonesia.
NPR.org has the hard-to-fathom look at what happens to the mentally ill in Indonesia. It’s a post today that originated at Global Post.
Nengah, whose full name is confidential, suffers from schizophrenia. After the 35-year-old violently attacked her stepmother in a blind rage nine years ago, her family decided they had to restrain her.
Her situation improved after local psychiatrist Luh Ketut Suryani arrived in the village in June to find Nengah naked, caged and filthy. The doctor consulted the family and prescribed medication. Later, Suryani helped get Nengah’s family to free her from bondage.
Nengah’s situation is not unique in Indonesia, where the mentally ill are often locked in chicken coops or chained up in family yards to prevent them from disturbing the community.
