Month: November 2009

One by one, attention from foreign journalist come across the globe to help bring awareness for mental illness in Bali. “I can’t promise anything but only hope that the news will spread up quickly and wider”, said Marek Lenarcik as the freelance journalist for The Washington Times during his visit with the agent Orange in the north part of Bali. Inadequate mental health system support and insufficient hospital-based interventions leave many patients in restrain or untreated. Outreach services have not been nationally promoted as a means of improving access and mental health outcomes.

“We have to work hard not just for the patients but also to make the policy maker think about the reality in this island that many people still suffering from chronic mental disorders”, said Professor Suryani as the founder of Suryani Institute for Mental Health.

The darkside of paradise finally gained a lot of attention from outside the island of Bali that hide more than 7000 people with chronic mental disorder. The french television putted so much attention for the suffering of the patients. “We couldn’t believed what we saw in the youtube, we thought it was only a joke”, said Sebastien as the executive producer for the project uncover the darkside of the paradise. No word can discribe the feeling after saw the reality of the patients. “Many of them have been restricted for more than 5 years, the family just felt hopeless with the situation”, said Professor Suryani as the leading psychiatrist and the only one that willing to sacrifice the time and heart to help the one that left untreated.

“We will broadcast to many countries as we can, so there will be more awareness and help to the people”, promised Sebastien.