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L-Aqwa Żmien għas-settur tas-Saħħa Mentali


Għalkemm it-temp ikrah li għamel matul tmiem il-ġimgħa li għaddiet sfratta ħafna miċ-ċelebrazzjonijiet tal-Karnival, saru biżżejjed attivitajiet biex irnexxielha tqum kontroversja.

Fuq is-sit soċjali facebook bdew jiġu ċirkolati diversi ritratti tal-Karnival spontanju tan-Nadur, u ritratt li qajjem l-għadab ta’ ħafna kien ritratt ta’ vann li kien qed jirredikola lil nies li jbatu b’mard mentali jew dimensja.

U jien ngħid bir-raġun li kien hawn rabja għal dak li sar. Minkejja li l-Karnival huwa żmien fejn is-satira u r-redikolu jingħataw l-ispazju kollu biex joħorġu fil-beraħ, għandu jinżamm ċertu rispett lejn is-sensittività ta’ min ikollu problemi ta’ mard. U bħalma lanqas tgħaddielna min moħħna nagħmlu xi ħaġa simili għal nies b’mard fiżiku, l-istess m’għandux isir għal nies b’mard mentali. Speċjalment minħabba l-fatt li diġa’ hemm stigma li għandna niġġieldu fejn jidħlu dawn il-kundizzjonijiet.

Ironikament, dan seħħ ftit ġranet wara li d-diska rebbieħa tal-Festival tal-Malta Song kienet proprju d-diska Taboo ta’ Christabelle, li titkellem dwar it-taboo li għad hawn marbut ma’ kundizzjonijiet ta’ saħħa mentali. Illum nies li jkunu għaddejjin minn dawn il-mumenti qed jiżdiedu, anke’ minħabba kemm saret iktar stressanti l-ħajja, u min ikun għaddej minn mument ħażin għandu jiġi inkuraġġit ifittex il-kura mingħajr il-biża’ li jiġi ttimbrat.

Kien biss is-Segretarju Parlamentari Clint Camilleri li ħareġ jiddefendi dan l-att, proprju b’kumment fuq l-istess sit ta’ facebook, għax qal li dan hu l-Karnival kif jafu jagħmluh in-Nadurin. Ċert li b’dan il-kumment m’għamilx unur lin-Nadurin, meta probabilment in-nies wara dan il-vann lanqas biss kienu min-Nadur. U ftit mumenti wara irrealizza li żbalja, għax kien pront u ħassar dan il-kumment.



Pero’ kumment ieħor li għadda fuq facebook Franco Debono wkoll kien fih x’wieħed jomgħod. Possibli għamilna aktar furur fuq dan il-vann, milli fuq il-fatt li ftit ġranet ilu, żagħżugħ li daħal l-Isptar Monte Karmeli minn rajh, ifittex il-kura, li t-tobba issuġġerew li jinżamm taħt moniteraġġ kontinwu, ħarab minn hemm għax tħalla waħdu u nstab mejjet wara li neħħa ħajtu b’idejh? Iżjed irrabjajna għal dan il-vann insensittiv, milli għal mewt ta’ żagħżugħ li tagħha responsabbli l-Istat li ħallieh waħdu?

U biex tgħaxxaq, din il-ġimgħa sirna nafu b’persuna oħra li ħarbet mill-istess Sptar. X’qed jiġri? Kif dan l-Isptar qed ifalli milli jieħu ħsieb lil dawn in-nies b’dinjità? Kif qed jitħalla bi kmamar ikkundannati, bi travi jserrħu fuq il-puntali, waqt li l-pazjenti jgħixu fihom? Kif qed jitħalla mingħajr biżżejjed staff biex iżommu għaddej tajjeb? Kif insiru nafu biss mill-media li pazjent ieħor miet minħabba l-legionella, tip ta’ bacteria fl-ilma li tiġi mill-ħmieġ?

Hawnhekk il-Gvern għandu responsabbilità politika kbira x’jerfa’. Mhux qed ngħid li l-affarijiet kienu perfetti taħt amministrazzjonijiet oħra, pero’ dan l-Isptar dejjem tmexxa min-nies kwalifikati fil-kura tas-saħħa mentali. Sfortunatament, malli l-Partit Laburista tela’ fil-Gvern fl-2013, dan l-isptar sar ukoll parti mill-metodi li l-Gvern ried jisfrutta biex jagħti r-rigali lil tal-qalba.

Waħda mill-ewwel deċiżjonijiet tal-ex-Ministru tas-Saħħa Godfrey Farrugia kienet proprju li jneħħi lis-CEO Dolores Gauci, persuna kwalifikata fil-kura tas-saħħa mentali, waħda mill-fundaturi tar-Richmond Foundation, u bniedma li ntgħażlet wara sejħa pubblika u proċess miftuħ. Minflok, Godfrey Farrugia kien appunta lil Clifford Grima, avukat u dak iż-żmien Sindku Laburista fl-Imsida, li illum huwa Segretarju Parlamentari. Ċert li l-avukat Grima jifhem f’ħafna affarijiet, fosthom fid-direct orders li jidher li malajr tgħallem jagħti, iżda l-kura tas-saħħa mentali mihix waħda minnhom.



Warajh, id-Deputat Prim Ministru Chris Fearne għoġbu jaħtar lis-Sindku Laburista ta’ Santa Venera, Stefan Sultana. X’taħsbu li hi l-professjoni ta’ Sultana? Bankier. Konvint li fil-qasam finanzjarju kien ikun kapaċi jaqdi funzjoni valida, imma l-kura tas-saħħa mentali żgur mihix il-forte tiegħu.

  

U allura bir-raġun li nikkritikaw il-Gvern li dan is-settur użah biss biex jaqdi lil tal-qalba, b’nies jimmaniġġjawh li mhumiex kompetenti fis-suġġett. Dan hu ta’ għajb kbir, u huwa parti mir-raġuni għala dan is-settur qed imur lura flok ‘il quddiem.

Avolja mill-Oppożizzjoni, is-saħħa mentali rriduha tkun fuq quddiem tal-aġenda tagħna. Il-Kap tal-Partit Nazzjonalista Adrian Delia appunta proprju kelliem fuq dan il-qasam, u f’konferenza stampa din il-ġimgħa għamilha ċara li għandu jkun hemm tolleranza zero fuq l-istigmatizzazzjoni ta’ dawn in-nies.


Kulħadd jista’ jkun hemm mumenti fejn ikun vulnerabbli u jkollu bżonn din it-tip ta’ kura, u rridu nibnu soċjetà fejn f’dawk il-mumenti twennisna u terfagħna, mhux tkissirna u tneżżagħna mid-dinjità tagħna.



Dan l-artiklu deher fil-Mument tal-Ħadd 18 ta' Frar 2018.

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