Guwahati, Nov. 22: Experts have stressed the need to educate people and police on mental health as this, according to them, will help in the rescue of mentally-ill homeless persons from the city's streets.

A mentally-ill man and woman roaming or lying on the footpath is a common sight in the city. They are usually picked up by the police and taken to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for medical tests. After giving them necessary treatment - in case they suffer from any form of ailment - they are handed over to NGOs that run rehabilitation homes for such individuals.

"It is necessary that public and the police understand issues related to mental health. This will not only help in removing the stigma related to mental illness, but also help in rescue of many mentally-ill men and women who live on the streets. These individuals are rescued by the police and taken to the GMCH for medical examinations. Then the police contact us and other NGOs who work on mental illness," said Anjana Goswami, director of Ashadeep, an NGO engaged in rehabilitation of the mentally-ill people.

There are, however, no exact estimate of how many such individuals live on city streets. Apart from Ashadeep, Destination and Help Aid are the NGOs that are currently engaged in rehabilitating and providing shelter to the homeless mentally-ill people in the city.

From 2005 till now Ashadeep has rescued and rehabilitated 675 mentally-ill women of whom 600 have been united with their families. Since 2013 till now the NGO has rescued and rehabilitated 119 mentally-ill men of whom 85 have been united with their families.

"Workshops and sensitisation programmes should be conducted to create awareness among people on different issues related to mental illness. If anyone suffers from any form of mental illness, his/her family should not try to hide it, but instead seek medical help as timely medical intervention makes such illness manageable and helps the affected person to lead a near normal life," Goswami said.

"We conducted sensitisation programmes for the police as they should know the symptoms from which they can make out if a particular person is mentally ill.These programmes also focus on how to deal with the people in the right manner while rescuing them from the streets. Most of these individuals run away from home in a deranged state.When the illness reaches its peak they are not conscious of what is going on around them," Goswami said.