Hundreds of people participated in a mental illness campaign at the Tshilwavhusiku community hall last Wednesday.

The MEC for Health and Social Development, Dr Norman Mabasa, said that they wanted to create awareness about the situation of mentally challenged persons and the people who take care of them. "Mental illness is treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief by actively participating in an individual treatment plan,” he added.

According to Mabasa, mental health patients need to be accepted, taken care of and loved by their parents, children, relatives and friends in the healing process. He said that the role of the family and communities in the recovery process should be to assist patients to take medication as instructed by health workers. It was also important to establish peer support groups and to encourage a healthy lifestyle, Mabasa said.

He also warned that his department was aware of instances where grants for disabled patients were not used for the purposes of taking care of their physical and emotional needs. "People take those grants and buy themselves clothes or groceries, which they do not share with the mentally disabled,” he added.

Mentally challenged people are human beings too and must be taken good care of, said Khosi Vho-Rudzani Sinthumule during the event.