Global Post an on-line news portal in Boston, has a mission to provide original international reporting rooted in integrity, accuracy, independence and powerful storytelling that informs, entertains and fills the void created by diminished foreign coverage by American media. For that reason Sara Schonhardt from Global Post feels the need to write the story about the impact the institute is having on an issue that deserves a lot of attention. About 300 psychotic people still tied up in chains with some of them in cages hidden in the glamor tourism of the paradise island named Bali. The mentally ill are locked up by their own families and forced to eat, sleep and defecate in the same spot while their illness goes untreated in the Bali’s government ignorance of the problems.
“Encouraging thoughts and words of well meaning people are maybe nice, but remain superficial and empty without concrete action”, said Sara during her visit to the community with Professor Luh Ketut Suryani and Dr Cokorda Bagus Jaya Lesmana as the only psychiatrists that willing to do community mental health work in the community. The visit was follow by Dr Mel Borins, a family physician, Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and on active staff at St. Joseph’s Health Center.
“I have been lucky to witness many amazing healing interactions in my life. However the experience of being with Dr Leh Ketut Suryani and her son Dr. Cokorda Bagus J. Lesmana when they visited three mentally ill patients in remote vilages in Kerangasem a region in Bali ranks amongst the most impressive”, said Dr Mel Borins as he witnessed a chained woman being liberated when the chains that has been 9 years locked her finally broken by the family. “We will never forget the great and humanist efforts you are accomplishing for the Balinese living in the worst psycho-social conditions, bringing some light into the darkness of their existence” said everybody after the visit. Will government and others care with the changes she makes?