05 Mar 2015

UCCSA Women’s Wing Fellowship has been urged to treat mental illness patients with care, love and support them so that they could cope with their ailments.

Speaking during the UCCSA women’s conference, a psychiatric nurse at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital, Mr Kagiso Nthobatsang said mental disorders could be inherited or be caused by drug abuse.

Mr Nthobatsang said other mental disorders were caused by road accidents while others were due to alcohol consumption that damaged the veins. He said some other diseases like malaria and diabetes could lead to mental disorder diseases.

Mr Nthobatsang urged the church to always take into consideration the symptoms which could indicate a sign of mental disorder disease such as loss of appetite, hearing voices, seeing things that others could not see.

He also noted that there were some churches which encouraged patients to abandon their medication telling them that the disease was a curse, adding that UCCSA members should lead people to a rightful path which would lead them to eternal life.

He said mental disorder patients needed love, care, support and to be treated like normal human beings. 

They should be given a chance to cast their ideas in meetings, “influence them to do home chores and stop calling them bad names.”

Parents, he stated, should always encourage patients to go for medical checkups and also accompany them to show support. 

He said they should be involved in community tasks like Ipelegeng and not be discriminated against.

For her part, Reverend Patience Pheko urged church members to practice their faith by turning themselves into good Samaritans and help those in need.  ENDS