Mentally-ill women sexually abused in Baitadi

By Our Correspondent Baitadi, July 5: A mentally unwell woman who had left home has given birth to a child in Baitadi. It has not yet been found that who had raped the woman of Melauli in Baitadi. 

The District Public Health Office in Baitadi has taken the woman and the baby for treatment. 

Yogesh Prasad Bhatta, chief of the health office in Baitadi, said that five women were rescued from Baitadi on Friday and sent to Dhangadhi for treatment after the mentally-ill women started giving birth to babies.

Stating that there was a fear of homeless women being raped, chief Bhatta said that two mentally-ill from Shivanath Rural Municipality and one each from Dashrathchand Municipality, Melauli Municipality and Surnaya Rural Municipality had been rescued. 

The Drishti Foundation in Dhangadhi has been providing food and shelter to the mentally-ill women. Chief Bhatta said that five more women were rescued from Baitadi and sent to Dhangadhi on Friday after Drishti Foundation Dhangadhi agreed to provide free food and shelter to them. 

Earlier, eight women from Baitadi had undergone mental health treatment under the protection of Drishti Foundation.

12 children from rape victims

Drishti Foundation, Dhangadhi, currently is providing shelter to 45 women with mental illness from different districts of the Sudurpaschim province. Among them, 12 children from 12 raped women are also taking shelter with their mothers.

Kalpana Bhatta, chairperson of Drishti Foundation, Dhangadhi, said that 13 of the 45 women were rescued from Baitadi district. Of the 13 women from Baitadi, two are mothers.

Stating that the provincial and local governments have not been able to address the mental problem, Kalpana Bhatta said that the families of mentally ill tend to abandon them instead of providing them with medical treatment. She added that people with mentality of raping abandoned women instead of helping them are found in society.

Bhatta said that if treated in time, mental illness can be cured. She added that 96 women had recovered in five years and returned home. 

Rape, mental problems rise in Baitadi

It has been found that rape and mental problems are on the rise in Baitadi. Even though there is a body to lodge complaint about rape, there is no health institution to treat the mentally ill persons. 

According to the District Police Office, Baitadi, complaints regarding 27 raped women were filed last year and this year. Some incidents of rape have not reached the police for fear of tarnishing social image. Among them, a mentally ill woman was raped and even after she gave birth to a child, the rapist has been found hiding.

According to the Baitadi Health Office, there were more than 300 mental patients in Baitadi. Chief Bhatta said that 300 patients had visited the camp conducted for mental treatment. 

Bhatta informed that as there was no health facility or doctor to treat the mentally-ill, the health office had called specialist doctors in the camp. 

Chief District Officer of Baitadi Suresh Panthi said that they had drawn the attention of the District Administration Office, Baitadi that the mentally-ill in Baitadi had to suffer a lot due to lack of health facilities in Baitadi.

As the number of mentally-ill people in Baitadi has increased, 10 local levels of the district had coordinated with the Health Office, Baitadi to arrange health workers for regular treatment of mental patients in a health institution, said Chief District Officer Panthi.