Bali Daily, Monday, December 10 2012
Four students from Stenden Hogeschool in Groningen, the Netherlands, could not hide their distress when seeing Komang Anggraeni, a mentally ill patient, shackled with a heavy metal chain. The thin, half naked woman with a hollow face sat helplessly on dirty ground, covered only with a textile tent, knowing she had no future in this harsh world.
The Dutch students — Femke Hof, Jelmer, Petra Peters and Nikki U Krieken — visited the 32-year-old Anggraeni’s dilapidated hut along with Luh Suryani, professor of psychiatry at Udayana University and chairwoman of Suryani Institute of Mental Health, who had planned to release the shackled Anggraeni last Friday afternoon.
“I will not be able to close my eyes, to sleep tonight. The scene here was too distressing for me as a human being. I cannot stop thinking of her deprived physical and mental condition,” said Peters with tears in her eyes.
Their visit Friday was not a welcome one for Anggraeni’s family.
Living in deprived conditions with a mentally ill brother and sister, as well as a sick mother, has been too much to bear for Ketut Tika.
“I have to find work to support this family. My mother is old and sick. If you release my sister then I cannot look after her. She will roam the village at night and I will have to look for her,” Ketut Tika said.
Anggraeni was first diagnosed as suffering from mental illness in 2006. Her mother and brother could do nothing to help her medically as they did not have the money to take her to a doctor. They shackled Anggraeni, using a metal chain, in the bush area next to her house to prevent her from creating disturbances in the village.
“I have come here to treat Anggraeni and to give her medication and, therefore, the family must take off these heavy chains,” insisted the professor, who was accompanied by her colleague Dr. Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesama.
Luh Suryani has pledged to medically and psychologically treat Anggraeni at her own expense. After arguing with Anggraeni’s family, Suryani finally got permission to treat her and to release her from her seven years of being shackled.
Her brother, Kadek Pradnya, who was released several years ago, helped her unlock the chain and brought her a clean clothes.
Unstable and unhealthy, Anggraeni looked happy. Her tiny hands tried to grab Suryani’s hands to express her gratitude.
Suryani examined her physical condition, gave her an injection and some vitamins.
In the heavy rain, Anggraeni ran to the parking site, 1 kilometer from her home, to meet Suryani and her team to say, “Thank you and good bye.”
It is estimated about 350 of 9,000 people with mental illness are shackled by their families in Bali. Most of them live in poor areas in Buleleng and Karangasem regencies.
di 11 dec 2012 - 0:55
