(1) Letter to MediaCorp’s TODAY newspaper: Hope for more
support for carers, people with mental illness
With the
reopening of the 12th Parliament, I welcome the news in the report “Leadership
change for 4 of 11 Govt Parliamentary Committees” (May 16).
I hope
Singaporeans can be offered fresh, bold ideas that will pave the way for a more
inclusive society, catering to the needs of all Singaporeans, especially those
who need better support, such as people with mental illness and their carers.
Often, due to
guilt and self-imposed obligations to care for loved ones grappling with mental
health issues, which are difficult to manage, carers sacrifice their own needs,
running the risk of physical and emotional burnout.
Member of
Parliament for Moulmein-Kallang Group Representation Constituency Denise Phua,
who will double up as Mayor of the Central District and Government
Parliamentary Committee Chairman (Social and Family Development) at the end of
the month, has championed people with autism for years and has succeeded in
getting them support. With her new appointments, I hope she will also champion
the mentally ill and their families.
Healthcare is a
concern for all Singaporeans, and with the appointment of two-term backbencher
Lam Pin Min as Minister of State (Health), I hope this long-suffering group
will soon get the needed assistance from the Government.
RAYMOND ANTHONY
FERNANDO
(2)
Letter to The Straits Times: Donate to the mentally ill too
THE Singapore Children's Society is appealing for philanthropists to step
forward and donate $1,000 a year to its charity ("Want to be a
philanthropist? Give $1,000 a year"; last Wednesday).
While this charity is doing a good job to support needy children, there
should also be initiatives to support another group on the fringes of society -
the mentally ill and their families.
Many psychiatric patients and their caregivers are in dire need of
financial support and it is not uncommon for caregivers to give up their jobs
to care full time for their charges.
If we want to build a society where no one is left behind, there needs to
be better support for the psychiatric community here.
To this end, I suggest that a similar initiative be started to raise funds
for psychiatric patients and their families. A dedicated community that
supports the mentally ill can ensure that the work of reforming mental health
care extends far into the future.
But it will not be easy to get philanthropists to donate to this group
because the mentally ill are often viewed as people who cannot contribute to
society.
This is far from true. Moreover, some individuals may avoid donations to
the field of mental illness for fear of identifying themselves and being
personally affected by the social stigma associated with mental illness.
Our politicians are some of the highest-paid people in the world, so they
can lead by example by contributing to this worthy cause. Once they do so, I
have every confidence that other philanthropists will follow suit.
Raymond Anthony Fernando
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