Are there no mental institutions?

puryear270

Bronze
Aug 26, 2009
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I have a schizophrenic man who has taken up residence in my back yard. I make sure he is fed and bathed on a regular basis.

I took him to the local hospital (in Bani) and the doctor in the emergency room made it very clear that this was not the United States and that I could not just drop him off at the hospital and expect him to be treated. (This was after one of the nurses gave me the dirtiest look and told me to go over to the other side of the room and wait for the doctor. I was reminded of the nurse in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, except that the nurse in the movie was far more compassionate than the nurse at the hospital.) I did insist that something be done so that he would calm down. He was given a sedative. We got an appointment for him to see the psychiatrist, but of course, on the appointed day, the doctor changed her schedule from morning to afternoon, and he could not be seen.

I checked on mental health institutions in the country. Padre Billini Hospital in the capital takes patients, but the reports I read said that the conditions are not good at all.

On a positive note, my "tenant" is making significant progress and is no longer ranting at thin air. The best therapy is allowing him to hug one of my dogs. And the folks in the neighborhood have started to send clean clothes, shoes, and food for him.

Next step is to contact his family and explain to them how best to help him so that he can return home to live with them. Many families do not know what to do, and from my very limited experience, the medical community is not helpful at all if one does not have financial resources.
 

Auryn

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2012
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A WHO Report done in 2008 states that there is no national body to oversee conditions in mental hospitals, and further explains there is one mental hospital (Padre Bellini), one day treatment center, and one residential facility. There is a total of 9 psychiatric inpatient units in general hospitals for a total of 76 general hospital beds nationwide.
Other information is included on the public availability of psychotropic drugs and the fact that there are 2 psychiatrists per 100,000 people.
The report is available here:
http://www.who.int/mental_health/dominican_republic_who_aims_eng.pdf

Mental Illness is certainly getting more attention lately but the social stigma attached to many conditions limits availability of resources even in North America. I am not saying conditions are as bad as they are in the DR, just that dealing with a family member who has a mental illness can be frustrating, difficult, and often heartbreaking.

Puryear, SESPAS may be of some help to your "tenant's" family. If not, hopefully they can point them in the right direction, if there is one available. They held a meeting on June 13th this year where coordinators of Mental Health Units met.
Ministerio de Salud P?blica y Asistencia Social

All the best to you, the man's family, and the man himself.
 

ctrob

Silver
Nov 9, 2006
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I have a schizophrenic man who has taken up residence in my back yard. I make sure he is fed and bathed on a regular basis.

on a positive note, my "tenant" is making significant progress and is no longer ranting at thin air. The best therapy is allowing him to hug one of my dogs. And the folks in the neighborhood have started to send clean clothes, shoes, and food for him.
.

Wow, that's a very nice thing you're doing. Not many would, or could, do that. I don't know anything about "pet therapy" but have heard it can do wonders. Maybe get him a puppy to take care of?
 
May 29, 2006
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You might want to ask the local church for help in the situation. When I was a little kid and my folks were in the Peace Corps, there was an asylum we stayed at for a few days that was run by nuns, I think near Mao. When it comes to treating the mentally ill, I think they would do better than a government place.