Letter to The New Paper ST: Support for psych patients - Raymond Anthony Fernando appeals to Mr Lee Kuan Yew to support psychaitric patients

My letter on the above matter is published in The New Paper today, Monday 23^rd September 2013.

It was a thoughtful gesture for Parliament to celebrate the 90^th birthday of Singapore founding prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew last Monday.

Mr Lee showed dedication and commitment by attending the Parliament sitting that day even though it was against doctors’ advice.  That’s the mark of a true leader.

There can be no doubt about Mr Lee’s commitment to making a better life for all Singaporeans.

He has personally supported notable initiatives, for instance in education.

I appeal to him to consider another area where a lot can be done. The psychiatric community here is growing and many in this group are struggling to cope.

Some are in dire need of financial assistance.   They can’t find jobs because of discrimination; and they are being left behind. Yet many in this group have hidden talent and with training, motivation and encouragement, they can make significant contributions to society.

A fund can be set up to support psychiatric patients and their caregivers in their quest to find meaningful work or to set up a business.  Such an initiative can even be a model for other world leaders to support their marginalised citizens.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO 

Heed Defence Minister’s call to provide support for those with special needs: An open letter to the Prime Minister & his cabinet

Friday 13^th September 2013

 

Dear Prime Minster Lee Hsien Loong , Ministers & MPS,

In a news report on Channel NewsAsia last Saturday – 7^th September, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen who met up with motivational speaker Nick Vujicic called on Singapore to accept people with disabilities and special needs.  I am so glad that Dr Ng has made a public appeal to support people with these conditions.  It looks like the Government is slowly warming up to providing better support for these groups.

There are two kinds of disabilities that affect many in society – those who have a physical condition which is clearly visible, and the other disability which is not clearly visible –mental illness.  These conditions are affecting many in society. Yet, it is often not talked about, not discussed, and often swept under the carpet.  When our suicide rate has gone up 30 percent, should we not talk and discuss about these issues – in a rational way?

I trust that when the Defence Minister was making an appeal to all in our society to accept people with disabilities and special needs, he was also referring to those with mental illnesses. Am I coorect, Dr Ng?

Indeed, if we are already a developed country, we must learn to accept that people with mental health issues are also citizens of this land; and like any other person, psychiatric patients and their family members need encouragement, support, and understanding.

Acceptance of persons with mental illness, eradication of stigma and advocacy play a vital role in helping the psychiatry community here move on in life; and makes for a truly inclusive society.

I am disturbed that day care centres and elderly activity centres are refusing to allow people with mental health issues and their caregivers to have some respite in their organisations.   Whether they do not have trained staff who are unable to handle mental illness or worse still, if they are discriminating against this group, it deprives psychiatric patients and their caregivers of that much-needed support.  This de-motivates caregivers into travelling the long, exhausting and difficult journey.  The Government must correct this or we will have enclaves in our society.

I am equally troubled that many of our Members of Parliament (MPs), advocacy groups and those in the mental health care industry find it “awkward” to speak out passionately about the plight of the mentally ill and their caregivers.  And it is not that they have not read letters in the press on these matters.

I have approached many MPs – opposition ones included, and advocacy groups to speak out for this group, but they all shy away from these issues.  We cannot adopt attitudes that “if it does not affect me or my family, it is none of my business.”  It is so wrong to do this.   The Government’s call is for all Singaporeans to take care of one another, especially those who are needy. 

MP Denise Phua whose teenage son has autism speaks passionately about autism in Parliament and this community has benefitted tremendously from her advocacy.  With Dr Eng’s call to provide support and understanding to those with special needs, I appeal to the Government to appointment an MP to raise the plight of the mentally ill in Parliament – and do so passionately. 

With World Mental Health Day falling on 10^th October, let us rally around the psychiatry community here and make a concerted effort to help these citizens re-integrate back into society.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

 

Letter to The Straits Times ST Forum Page: Caregivers of mentally ill need a break too

My letter on the above subject was published in The Straits Times on Monday 2^nd September 2013.

Newly promoted Minister of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) Chan Chun Sing has launched the free pilot drop-in programme scheme for caregivers of persons with disabilities, (“Break for caregivers with drop-in programme; last Thursday).

The pilot programme is open to all those who have physical or intellectual disabilities, but not to those with major behavioural issues.  Is this fair?

Caregivers of loved ones with physical and intellectual disabilities will benefit from this new support scheme, and as Madam Joanne Ong rightly pointed out in the report, “it’s very tiring to be a caregiver”.

But MSF must also be mindful that caring for a loved one with mental illness is much more tiring, daunting and draining.

Yet, caregivers in this category are once again being left out in the cold, and are deprived of support.

I have every confidence that if a psychiatrist gives a letter to confirm that their patients are responding well to treatment, are lucid and can function well, this new initiative can also be extended to their caregivers.  Is MSF prepared to do this and think out of the box?

When I wrote to The Straits Times in May and gave suggestions for more respite options for caregivers of the mentally ill, the Ministry of Health (MOH) replied that they fully agreed with me and that they would consider these ideas.

Yet, the MSF conveniently omits support for this group.  MSF and MOH must work in tandem to provide better support for caregivers of the mentally ill and not sideline this group of marginalised citizens – more so when the Government wants to ensure fair and just practices.

My wife Doris Lau who appeared in The Sunday Times Life! section recently is a successful author and is clearly lucid as she uses her skills of cooking and writing for therapy. Must she and I be deprived of support on account of her schizophrenia?

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

 

 

 

 

Letter to MediaCorp’s TODAY Newspaper: Ensure equal opportunities for the mentally ill

My letter on the above matter was published in TODAY newspaper on Tuesday 27^th August 2013.

At the National Day Rally, the Prime Minister highlighted how an A*Star scientist who became blind at age four went on to excel in life.

Such recognition on a national level would encourage people with physical disabilities to work hard and not view their disability as an obstacle to achieving the best results. There are many psychiatric patients who have also excelled in life. But while a physical disability is mostly visible, mental illness is a hidden condition.

Lately, several citizens with physical disabilities have been given due recognition in sports and other fields.

How much recognition, though, is given to people with mental illness who have done equally well?

One way for the “Govt to ensure ‘S’pore society remains fair’” (Aug 24) is to ensure that people with mental illness and their caregivers are given equal opportunities and support to reintegrate into society, whether it is securing jobs in the Civil Service or getting insurance coverage.

We cannot be an inclusive society if people with mental illness lack opportunities to become self-reliant.

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

 

 

Letter to The Straits Times:: What about insurance coverage for the mentally ill?

My letter to The Straits Times on the above matter was published on Saturday 17th August 2013.

 

NTUC Income’s move to provide insurance coverage to autistic children and young adults is long overdue (“Income launches first insurance scheme for autistic kids, youth”; Thursday).

I am sure parents and caregivers looking after these children will heave a sigh of relief.

MP Denise Phua, whose son has autism, has often spoken out for people with this condition.

But people suffering from mental illness have no one to champion their cause.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has repeatedly assured Singaporeans that no one will be left behind, yet people with mental illness are not being given the support they so badly need.  Indeed, the mentally ill are being left behind – in more ways than one.

For decades, I have tried securing insurance coverage from NTUC Income for my wife, who has battled schizophrenia for 40 years, but this request has been turned down time and again. And mind you, the insurance coverage I sought was to cover her physical illnesses.

So let’s put a halt to discrimination against the mentally ill – once and for all.

Raymond Anthony Fernando

Letter to The Catholic News Singapore: Caregivers of the mentally ill need support

My letter on the above matter - to the Catholic News which reaches out to more than 300,000 Catholics in Singapore was published in this newspaper (N) on Sunday 11^th August 2013, page 16. 

This letter was written by me in response to newly appointed Archbishop William Goh’s call to Catholics to pray for these Catholic volunteers so that they do not suffer burnout. 

I refer to the report, “Caring for The Carers,” (CN, July 28).

I applaud and recognise the good work which the volunteers and ministries carry out unselfishly to support the needy.  And I agree that these “wounded healers” are likely to suffer burnout as they administer assistance to the needy.

But just like these “wounded healers” there is another group that is in dire need of support, conveniently forgotten, and who have suffered burnout.  These are psychiatric patients and their caregivers who have been crying out for help for decades, and yet find it so difficult to secure support.

Our suicide rates have gone up by 30 percent as many people struggle to cope with depression in a society that is bent on economic growth rather than emotional gains.

 Depression and other types of mental illnesses are issue - an issue which the Government and the church need to address - quickly.  So let’ not sweep this problem under the carpet.

I have been very vocal about people struggling with mental illness because I have witnessed the devastation it has brought to my wife, who suffers from schizophrenia; and others in her condition. 

I have seen the tears of caregivers, I have heard their cries for help, and I have felt their pain.  Yet, many in our society cannot accept that these citizens are also God’s children. 

Sadly, the media sometimes presents people with mental illness as violent, criminal, dangerous, comical, incompetent and fundamentally different from the rest of us. 

These inaccurate images perpetuate unfavourable stereotypes, which can lead to the rejection and neglect of people with psychiatric disorders. 

Last month when my wife underwent knee surgery and suffered a relapse of her schizophrenia, I had to bear the pain all alone. 

My attempts to secure the much needed support as I grieved all alone for more than six weeks, failed miserably because everybody claims to be “very busy”. 

Instead, it was recovering patients, caregivers of the mentally ill and non-Catholics that readily stepped forward to rally alongside me that enabled me to keep my sanity.

If Catholics like us are prepared to carry out the teaching of Christ and the marriage vows to the letter, then why pray tell, are we being deprived of the love, support, understanding and compassion that we so badly need? 

So I urge the archbishop to give the mentally ill and their caregivers the attention and support that we are in dire need of so that we will no longer be ostracised from society.

This is the mark of a gracious and caring society.

 

Raymond Anthony Fernando

Singapore 560601

 

 

 

 

 

Raymond's letter to the press: Let's donate to the mentally ill

My letter to MediaCorp's TODAY Newspaper was published on Thursday 25th July 2013.

I applaud the generosity of the 11 Malay Members of Parliament from the People’s Action Party who recently donated $15,000 in total to non-profit organisation Club Heal, which was formed last year to help people with mental illness regain confidence and reintegrate into society.

Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim mentioned that although the donation was not large, it signals their strong support towards the making of a more inclusive society.

Club Heal has strong political support; its patrons are Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and another MP, Mr Zaqy Mohamed.

I hope that the generosity and compassion of these MPs will motivate other MPs to contribute to everyone in the psychiatric community here, given that mental illness affects all races.

We have more than 80 elected MPs; if all of them contribute $1,000 at the end of the year, more than $80,000 could be raised for psychiatric patients and their caregivers of all races. If the Government matches dollar for dollar, the fund for this marginalised group would top $160,000.

The next step would be to raise funds for this group on national television. Caregivers and patients who are coping well could move the audience with their true stories. And I have every confidence that Singaporeans would step forward readily and give generously.

Raymond Anthony Fernando
http://www.todayonline.com/voices/lets-donate-mentally-ill