NGO rescues mentally ill man from Bhopal, seeks local rehab facility

NGO Hope house director Ruby Naka wrote to Vellore Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram on the issue on Wednesday when his team successfully brought back Manikandan (30) of Wallajahpet in neighbouring Ranipet district. 

Earlier, Ruby Naka received a phone call from one Dr Zeeshan Hanif in Bhopal, who informed him that they had picked up a mentally ill man, presumed to be from Tamil Nadu, from the streets with open, festering wound on his right leg caused by a fracture which had not been attended to. Naka, whose facility was part of the district Child Line, soon was able to locate Manikandan’s parents who accepted that their son went missing three years ago and identified him. 

Dr Hanif informed Naka that they were in the process of sending Manikandan whose right leg was amputated below the knee to Maharashtra for further help as they lacked facilities locally. 

“Parents of the man wanted to go to Bhopal, but were strapped for cash as they are all agricultural labourers,” Naka told DT Next. The NGO collected Rs 10,000 and identified a Hindi-speaking person to accompany the parents to Bhopal. Soon Manikandan was brought back to Vellore, where he was admitted and provided free treatment at CMC Hospital’s mental rehabilitation institute. 

Naka has now requested the Collector to provide Manikandan a disability certificate so that he could receive Rs 1,500, the monthly assistance being given for disabled persons and help in getting a prosthesis for the amputated limb. 

“I have requested the Collector for a rehab facility in Vellore district to help such patients, who start getting symptoms of mental illness in their teens,” Naka said.