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Man suffering schizophrenia lives in a cage
By Pan Zheng |
July 4, 2013, Thursday
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Online Edition
Online Edition
A schizophrenia patient in central China's Hunan Province has lived in a cage for more than two years after his family and local officials gave up his medical treatment, today's Hunan Morning News reported.
Zeng Jun, a 35-year-old resident in Shuidongjiang Town of Shaodong County was found suffering schizophrenia when he was 18. His parents took him to the hospital four times, but his symptom showed no improvement. They eventually gave up the treatment because they could not afford the high cost.
The town government only gave Zeng a minimum living allowance, but no medical subsidy for Zeng and other patients of mental diseases.
In 2009 Zeng was locked up in the family's basement, but he escaped a few times and caused a lot of trouble for his family, such as setting things on fire and beating people, said his father Zeng Yiyun.
Two years ago, the town government made an iron cage to confine Zeng. The family accepted it and Zeng began to live in the cage. Every day, his parents place a lunch box in the cage and Zeng would eat with both hands. "It is just like feeding a dog," the old man said.
Zeng Yiyun asked for additional subsidy from the local government but got nothing. The town officials said they had no budget for mental disease patients.
Under China's new Mental Health Law which took effect on May 1, Zeng Yiyun can send his son to a mental hospital in Shaodong County. The family only needs to pay 700 yuan (US$114) a month. The rest will be covered by the government. But Zeng Yiyun said they had no idea about this new policy.
Huang Xuetao, a lawyer who specializes in the protection of mental patients, said caging Zeng is illegal and inhuman. His rights have been severely violated.
Huang said the local government should take full responsibility to care for Zeng instead of locking him up and it should inform the public of the new Mental Health Law.
Zeng Jun, a 35-year-old resident in Shuidongjiang Town of Shaodong County was found suffering schizophrenia when he was 18. His parents took him to the hospital four times, but his symptom showed no improvement. They eventually gave up the treatment because they could not afford the high cost.
The town government only gave Zeng a minimum living allowance, but no medical subsidy for Zeng and other patients of mental diseases.
In 2009 Zeng was locked up in the family's basement, but he escaped a few times and caused a lot of trouble for his family, such as setting things on fire and beating people, said his father Zeng Yiyun.
Two years ago, the town government made an iron cage to confine Zeng. The family accepted it and Zeng began to live in the cage. Every day, his parents place a lunch box in the cage and Zeng would eat with both hands. "It is just like feeding a dog," the old man said.
Zeng Yiyun asked for additional subsidy from the local government but got nothing. The town officials said they had no budget for mental disease patients.
Under China's new Mental Health Law which took effect on May 1, Zeng Yiyun can send his son to a mental hospital in Shaodong County. The family only needs to pay 700 yuan (US$114) a month. The rest will be covered by the government. But Zeng Yiyun said they had no idea about this new policy.
Huang Xuetao, a lawyer who specializes in the protection of mental patients, said caging Zeng is illegal and inhuman. His rights have been severely violated.
Huang said the local government should take full responsibility to care for Zeng instead of locking him up and it should inform the public of the new Mental Health Law.
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