Many left to wander the streets, sleep in deserted houses Ibrahim Shehab Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Many mentally disturbed people wander in the streets, eat from waste containers and sleep in abandoned ramshackle houses. Some of them beg for money or food on streets, even knocking on doors. A citizen recalled a woman who used to wander around carrying a baby. The neighborhood residents were sympathizing with her and provided her and her baby with food and clothing. She did not respond to questions about her name or where she came from. She had hearing impairment and was mentally disturbed, said the citizen. However, she provided all the loving care for her baby who would never leave her lap. She suddenly disappeared and there were various explanations for her disappearance. Some said she had died, others that she was arrested, while there were also claims that a philanthropist had taken custody of her and her baby. Another citizen recalled a fellow school student who was very poor and did not have anything to eat during the school breaks. Recently by chance he met him wandering the streets, dressed in rags, shaggy haired, looking pale and exhausted despite only being in his 20s. He approached the man and tried to tell him that they were fellow students, but he did not respond, simply running away looking behind him. Many of these mentally disturbed people on the streets have scars, missing fingers and frightened looks. They are generally not aware of their behavior and are very irritable. Many of them also die alone in abandoned houses. Citizens urged local authorities to care for these individuals and to rehabilitate them. They also criticized the perceived negligence of security patrols to deal with them. A spokesman for Jeddah police said the police deal with complaints about these individuals. The police will refer them to the Red Crescent and then to a mental hospital for treatment and rehabilitation. A Social Affairs source said the Ministry of Health has a specialist department that deals with these cases. Social Affairs' role is to provide monetary assistance and shelter. The director of the Jeddah Mental Hospital Dr. Suhail Khan said the mentally ill pose a danger to society, their families and themselves. The suicide rate among them is very high. He said there was a difference between psychiatric patients and those who suffer from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental illness where the patient often becomes delusional or hallucinates due to a breakdown of his or her thought process. Their physical appearance is also affected as they neglect to care for themselves. A psychiatric patient is a general name for anyone who is suffering from a mental illness. Khan said the hospital is trying to get away from using the word "crazy," which people often use to refer to such cases. Primary examinations, tests and psychological measures are conducted on patients. The hospital then provides all necessary medication and rehabilitation to these patients.
