Appalling conditions at some psychiatric hospitals will soon be rectified by a draft law which will overhaul the mental care system. Reem Leila investigates "Which of us does not get depressed or over-worried from time to time?" asked Minister of Health and Population (MOHP) Hatem El-Gabali. "Is it so hard to accept someone who suffers from depression and decides to go to a doctor?" But unfortunately, sufferers from mild or severe psychological illness in Egypt are usually treated with hostility and disapproval. Such reactions isolate them, making it more difficult to seek the professional help they are in dire need of. However, there is hope on the horizon now that a new law has been drafted to improve care for mental patients. El-Gabali and Nasser Loza, secretary-general of Mental Health Organisation (MHO), announced the completion of a revised law regulating the psychiatric health sector. El-Gabali and Loza told a conference on 8 November that nine months of work went into rewriting Law 141/1944, which deals with the rights of patients who suffer from psychological and mental illnesses. Also, there will be efforts to improve the image of mentally ill patients, educate the public about mental disorders and showcase the success rate of those who seek consultation and institutionalisation. The new legislation, which will nullify Law 141, will be submitted for approval by the People's Assembly during this session. "We cannot operate with a law that has not been modified since 1944," pointed out Abdel-Rahman Shahin, MOHP's official spokesman. "A lot has changed since then." Shahin believes that to measure how civilised and democratic a country is, one needs to look at the way it treats its minorities and people with special needs. The new law, which will be applied at all state-owned and private mental institutions, will enable patients with mild and medium levels of illness to choose whether to be institutionalised or not. Patients are required to approve the type of therapy they will receive, especially in cases where electric therapy sessions are necessary. If a patient objects to any of the prescribed methods, a second opinion by another psychiatrist is needed to decide on a suitable technique for treatment. Meanwhile, the relatives of patients will no longer be allowed to decide what the fate of the patient will. "In the past, the patient's family would dump their relative in the hospital, and leave them there forever," explained Loza. He added that most hospitals are not suitable for modern psychiatric treatment and should be renovated, explaining that the majority of mental institutions have been deprived of funds and have steadily deteriorated over the past 40 years. "Many patients do not have any treatment at all," argued Loza. To remedy this, MOHP signed a protocol with Finland -- whose Ambassador to Cairo Hannu Halinen attended the conference -- to provide hospitals with advanced equipment and training for psychiatrists to apply the new law. In fact, the draft legislation calls for the renovation of all mental hospitals and improving treatment. It also entitles MHO to create a fund to help the poor who suffer serious psychological disorders and mental illness, which will be financed by the private sector, according to Shahin. The formation of a national council for mental health is also stipulated in the draft law, to supervise the performance of psychiatrists who could be subjected to up to two years in prison and a LE5,000 fine in cases of malpractice. The problems in mental and psychiatric hospitals stem from a crisis in psychiatry in general, asserted Loza. Egypt has nearly 500 psychiatrists, most of whom are based in six hospitals but these facilities lack basic expensive drugs while less than one in 10 people can afford private psychiatric care. The health expert believes that the general perception of psychiatric patients must change in order for them to become active members in society. According to the MHO official, nearly five per cent of Egyptians suffer a psychological disorder, especially that several years ago between 2,000 and 3,000 patients were released from Al-Khanka Psychiatric Hospital, and most reintegrated into society. MOHP statistics reveal that one per cent of the population is diagnosed with schizophrenia. "These people live among us; they function and are productive. It is time to recognise them," urged El-Gabali, who has been active in highlighting the shortcomings of the current law which is over 60 years old. But the stigma of mental illness is not subjective to Egypt. Anthony Zigmond, vice-head of the British Royal College of Psychiatrists, told the audience that in the UK mental patients are often wrongfully fingered as the number one suspects in violent crimes. "This is a big misconception," Zigmond asserted. "Most violent crimes are not carried out by mental patients, rather normal people who do not suffer from mental illness." He believes that the new legislation will equate Egyptian patients to their counterparts in the UK by ensuring their protection and ending all forms of maltreatment and torture.
