JEDDAH: Over 10 percent of psychiatric patients hospitalized at government mental hospitals are neglected by their families and relatives, said Dr. Abdul Hameed Habeeb, Director of Psychiatric Administration at the Ministry of Health. He said their families refuse to allow them to go home, even after they have recovered. The ministry found that families justify their behavior by saying they cannot look after their relatives. They also fear being stigmatized by society. At the moment there is no clearly defined law that compels patients' families to take in their relatives. There is also not any way to sue the Mental Health Authority if families are allowed to admit their mentally sick relatives to hospitals. Habeeb said the ministry's records show that there are 20,000 psychiatric patients currently hospitalized at the ministry's mental health hospitals. A total of 80 percent suffer from schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses. He said there are more women than men patients because women are more susceptible to psychological pressure; and that most psychiatric diseases are hereditary. He said the ministry expects that the long-awaited law defining psychiatric care and the rights of patients, being reviewed by the Shoura Council, will be endorsed soon. He said the ministry is in the process of rehabilitating 14 of the 20 mental hospitals being run by it, to improve services and provide further accommodation capacity.
