'Friends of Antara' Newsletter March 2006
There have been several very positive developments over the past months, not least the Children’s Ward at Antara is now operational and the Children’s Outpatient department is under construction. Closer to home, F of A UK’s activities have expanded to Leeds University and more volunteers are set for placements in 2006. We are delighted to include here to the 1st article by Honourary Chair, Dr Gangopadhyay a former psychiatrist at Antara now in the UK. We hope this newsletter will demonstrate the difference your support is making to many affected by poverty and mental illness.
Ceri Owen and Tim Lawes (Joint Editors)
News from ‘Friends of Antara UK’: First Children on the new ward as building work starts on OPD
Children's Services
From 2003 ‘Friends of Antara UK’ has been raising funds to provide facilities for Antara’s Child guidance team to begin to meet the chronic shortage of affordable mental-healthcare for the young in the region. The first priority was the construction of a new ward for children and on 28th May 2005 the Health Minister for West Bengal, Dr. Surjya Kanta Mishra formerly commissioned the ward. Inpatient treatment for children represented a new venture for Antara-indeed there are few precedents in India for such services. Therefore, careful planning, organisation of resources and recruitment and specialist training of staff (at the National Institute of Mental health and Neurology (NIMHANs), Bangalore) was necessary before the ward could admit its first patients on 2nd August ’05.
‘Friends of Antara UK’ volunteers, Katy Riley, Mandy Lau, Paul O’Brien and Tim Lawes were fortunate enough to welcome the first children onto the ward and follow their progress over the first weeks of treatment. It was a privilege to witness the dedication of the child –guidance team under the leadership of psychologist Indani Chakraborty, psychiatrist Dr.Som and child psychiatric social worker Nitai Mukherjee as they worked both with the child and importantly a family member or guardian to assess and improve the health and support for the children. It also provided insights into how difficult circumstances - poverty, poor maternal health, familial mental illness, loss of parents etc - could contribute to a child’s poor health, and informed a commitment from ‘Friends of Antara UK’ to ensure treatment could be available for these most vulnerable groups through the Children’s fund. See here for Mandy's account of her visit.
The ‘Friends of Antara UK’ volunteers were also present on the 13th August 2005 to lay the foundation stone for a Children’s Outpatient department (OPD) - the next phase in the ‘Child Guidance Project’. The department will serve as the base for both outpatient and community-based services and also, being adjacent to the new children’s ward, will provide facilities for diagnosis and therapy for inpatients. With funds from the UK construction work to add a second floor of the current adult outpatient department is now well underway and we are hopeful that services can begin within 2006.
In other news
Friends of Antara UK held its 4th AGM at York University on 26th November 2005. The committee reflected on a positive year in which over £10,000 was raised, more volunteering and non-financial support has been extended and student groups at York and Leeds Universities have been established. Led by students and ex-volunteers to Antara these groups have become the basis for most of our activities and fundraising – selling Antara products, raising awareness in the student body and general public, recruiting volunteers and organising events. Looking ahead to the next year ‘F of A UK’s’ aims include realising the total required for the child OPD, building up the ‘Children’s fund’ to ensure free and subsidised treatment can be provided for the most disadvantaged young patients, moving further towards registered charity status, supporting more volunteers and exploring possible electives for healthcare professionals and exchanges for members of Antara’s healthcare team.
The AGM provided an opportunity for welcoming some new members to the committee and changes in organisation. In particular we were delighted to invite Dr Partha Gangopadhyay to be ‘F of A UK’s’ Honourary Chair. Dr Gangopadhyay worked with Antara as a resident psychiatrist before moving to follow work and research in London in 2004. Since then he has provided invaluable insights into the work of Antara – not least speaking with student groups and providing articles. It is felt that both his empathy with the needs of Antara’s beneficiaries and knowledge as a mental-healthcare professional mean he is in a unique position to be an ambassador for Antara in the UK and to inform ‘F of A UK’s’ future work.
In addition we welcome Alexander Chapman and Caroline Elliker as joint secretaries for ‘F of A UK’, Kate Stansfield as treasurer and coordinator of registration, Rachel Winston and Alex Valvenis as coordinators of the Leeds student society and Ceri Owen as editor of the newsletter. Alongside these changes F of A UK has moved its main address. All correspondence should now be directed to:
‘Friends of Antara UK’, 66 Princess Drive, Boroughbridge Road, York, YO26 5SY
THE CHILDREN’S OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT AT ANTARA: REALISING THE VISION
Previous newsletters have reported on the progress being made at Antara towards a comprehensive mental health service for children in North East India.
‘F of A UK’ has been supporting this ‘Child Guidance Project’ since 2003 and since then ‘inpatient’ services have become a reality through the ‘Friends of Antara UK– Children’s Ward’. As at 31st December 2005 (from the first admissions on 2nd August 2005) Antara reported that 29 child-patients had been treated by the ward, ranging in age from 2-18 yrs, 16 from rural backgrounds and 13 from urban areas. They received treatment for a number of disorders including autistic spectrum disorders, acute psychosis, seizures, hypothyroidism, emotional and speech problems and other behavioural or conduct disorders. See here for the story of one of the first children to be admitted to the ‘Friends of Antara UK– Children’s Ward’
From the very beginning ‘F of A UK’ has been concerned that the care provided through new facilities is available to the most disadvantaged families and has set up the ‘Children’s Fund’ as a sustainable way to meet the treatment costs for families unable to pay. 
The last newsletter outlined the need to think beyond inpatient treatment to outpatient and community based elements of the ‘Child Guidance Project’. Often the best environment for a Child is their home with the support of family during treatment. Beyond this many families find it difficult to afford time away from work to accompany their children during inpatient treatment, and other may find it hard to afford transport to Antaragram. Finally, Antara’s Child Guidance Team can work with other organisations and at risk groups (street children, orphans, children of the mentally ill) aiming at prevention and early diagnosis of psychological ill-health.
All of this requires a base, and thanks to the outstanding support from UK donors and fundraisers most of the funds for a Child outpatient department (OPD) has been realised. This facility will allow the current 2-day a week Child Guidance Clinic to run six days a week allowing 250-300 children to be seen and freeing up the adult OPD (currently accommodating the Child Clinic) to expand. It will provide space for various diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, scientific documentation, research & training, ensure effective follow-up for inpatients, promote self-help initiatives among the parents/guardians and provide a head office for Community Based Programmes for children.
The latest news from Antara is that the Child OPD construction is well underway with outer shell and inner walls built. The hope is the work can be completed by late summer. F of A UK looks forward to the unit becoming operational soon after. TL
Antara- Miles to go before we sleep
In Sept 2005, Dr. Partha Gangopadhyay became Honorary Chair of ‘Friends of Antara UK’. Now working in the UK he was formerly a resident psychiatrist at Antara. Here he shares his views on what makes Antara’s work vital and unique.
Antara is a balm for bruised hearts and a rest for battered souls. Friends of Antara UK have been with Antara for a while now and I am delighted to see them carry on the difficult task of supporting a great cause devoting time and resources among their busy schedules. In this article let us talk about the philosophy behind Antara, its main treatment centre- Antaragram and how psychiatry in India is different from the psychiatric care available in UK.
Antara- What and why
Antara is a non-governmental, non-profit making, secular and charitable society with the primary objective of providing care, treatment and rehabilitation to the destitute and very poor persons suffering from mental disorders including drug addiction and alcoholism. The greatest asset of Antara is the unique bond shared between patients, their families, staff, students and well wishers. It appreciates the need for holistic care for psychiatric patients and has been providing that with extreme efficiency among difficult circumstances.
Antaragram- The epicentre
Antaragram the main centre of Antara’s activities is situated 23 kms from the heart of Calcutta/Kolkata (India). Antaragram today has in-patient wards (adult male, female and children) occupational therapy units, out-patient clinics, library facilities, reading room, residential staff facilities, a communal dining hall, nice green gardens all around and a recreation centre. It has two acute psychiatric wards for male and female patients, two rehabilitation wards for male and female patients, one ward for men with substance dependence problems and a recently constructed children’s ward (an example of the splendid work being done by Friends of Antara- UK).
Psychiatric care in UK & India- Similarities and differences
In UK psychiatric care is mainly provided by the mental health NHS trusts. Psychiatry is sub-divided into further sub-specialties like general adult, child and adolescent, forensic, learning disability among others. In India psychiatric care is considerably dependent on the private sector and such further sub-divisions are non-existent. However, both the countries have recognised that patients need a fuller assessment and management of the various aspects of their bio-psycho-social environment.
Antara- The team and activities
Antara provides care to mentally ill and vulnerable patients equipped with a motivated team of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric nurses, psychiatric social workers, art therapist and special educators for children with specific needs. It has a child guidance clinic, outpatient clinics in Antaragram, outreach clinics in Kolkata city and distant villages and also has a group home for patients who have no other place to go to. This actually is one of the most important philosophies behind Antara’s work i.e. to make care accessible to people irrespective of their socio-economic status.
As a member of the team working in Antara I had realised that it is one of those few places where you feel that you are not doing anything for anyone but yourself. Antara provides both patient and staff with a tranquil experience of togetherness and harmony, which is so essential for healing and often lacking in patient-care. Antara instils a unique desire of trying to be of any assistance and I hope that this will continue for many more years to come.
Dr Partha Gangopadhyay
St Charles Hospital
London
Poetry from patients gives another perspective on life at Antara.
NEWS FROM ANTARA
Developments:Beyond the emerging facilities for Children at Antaragram, Antara is looking to consolidate and expand its services in other areas.Antara has received requests from other parts of India to set up mental health services. Antara’s constitution looks forward to such expansion but first of all the plan is to extend services to other districts of West Bengal, especially focusing on rural areas. A boost to these plans came in the donation of a building and land in a different district south of Kolkata by ‘White Cross’ NGO. An outpatients department will be based here to serve the local communities but plans for inpatient or residential care are being considered
Training: A key part of the consolidation of present activities and expansion is the capacity for Antara to train staff in mental healthcare. Jadavpur University will endorse a Masters in Social Work course taught at Antaragram. Meanwhile communication with the All India Nursing Council and the appointment of a Nursing Superintendent represent moves towards the aim of training nationally qualified psychiatric nurses.
Mental Health Fair: This Annual awareness raising and income generating event was hosted at Antaragram on 4th Dec 2005 and was attended by 10,000 people from Kolkata and local communities.
Children’s Days: There were further celebrations with events organised for Children’s Day on 14th November 2005, the annual get-together programme for families of children receiving treatment through the Child Guidance Clinic (inpatient and outpatient) on 15th Nov and Christmas celebrations complete with a Christmas tree (from Antara’s plant nursery) on the ward. The annual get-together included a candle-lighting ceremony, games and performances by the child patients and staff in a cultural programme.
Volunteers: Antara welcomed 3 new volunteers in the new year; Anna Butterworth, a Volunteer from ‘Friends of Antara UK’ arrived at Antara on 6th Jan. 2006 to commence a placement of 6 months. Amy Steele & Clare Williams, two Volunteers from G.A.P. organisation (UK) arrived on 7th January to begin 4 month placements. Friends of Antara UK hopes to report on their experiences in future editions of the newsletter. TL