WAINGAPU (May 2, 2024) - Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini believes that people with mental disorders (ODGJ) can recover and be empowered if they are handled properly. But, it also takes time and a medical process. For this reason, medical action and social support must go hand in hand.

Previously, the Minister of Social Affairs had sent a Ministry of Social Affairs team to conduct a biopsychosocial assessment in East Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara with mental specialists, namely Dr. Dickson Legoh, Sp.KJ and Dr. Albert A Maramis Sp.KJ (K). In addition to health checks, the Ministry of Social Affairs also provides assistance to fulfill a decent life. Assessment is also carried out to find out the needs of beneficiaries (PM) such as accessibility and empowerment support.

"It turns out that the number is quite large because we are trying to handle it. I invited Dr. Dickson and Dr. Albert from Jakarta to help handle this," she said to the media at the Katanang Health Center, East Sumba, Thursday (2/5).

Meanwhile, Dr. Dickson said he and the Ministry of Social Affairs team had received data on 419 people with mental disorders (ODGJ) in East Sumba Regency and half of them had been assessed. "Since Sunday, April 27 until today, 248 ODGJ have been confirmed and assessed," he said when reporting to the Minister of Social Affairs.

The assessment results show that several ODGJ do not have a Population Identification Number (NIK) and have been facilitated with biometric recording during the Social Affairs Minister's dialogue with the Community at Puskesmas Katangan. In addition, the team also found 4 ODGJ in stocks.  The Ministry of Social Affairs has made efforts to free the confinement in stocks such as cleaning themselves by cutting nails and hair, bathing, and dressing them in proper clothes while providing education to the family.

The effort to free the stocks aims to improve human dignity because most ODGJ can recover their health if they are handled properly. The liberation from stocks is not easy to do because the number of ODGJ in East Sumba Regency is quite large and spread over a very wide area. The area of East Sumba Regency is 7,000 km2 or more than 10 times the land area of DKI Jakarta which is 661.5 km2, while the population of East Sumba is 262,653 people. The Ministry of Social Affairs team will continue to be in East Sumba until the assessment of 419 ODGJ is completed.