Mysore/Mysuru: Marking World Schizophrenia Day, the District Administration, Zilla Panchayat and District Mental Health Programme Office, had jointly organised an awareness jatha in city on Thursday.

The rally, comprising over 250 Nursing and Polytechnic students from various colleges was flagged off by District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Member-Secretary and Senior Civil Judge Devaraj Bhute at Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple.

The rally with the theme ‘Connection to Hope,’ passed through Clock Tower, Gandhi Square and Sayyaji Rao Road before culminating at starting point. They carried placards with messages on mental health.

Speaking on the occasion,  Judge Devaraj Bhute said that health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.  “Mental health is affected due to lot of stress and anxiety in working sectors where people lose mental health easily,” he said.

Stressing that children in the age group of 2-3 years easily operate smartphones, he said “Including me, everyone use mobile phones to search one or the other thing on the social media which is a part and parcel of life, but also an addiction.”

District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. K.H. Prasad, who too spoke, said that about five percent of people in the world suffer from mental illness and commit suicide and added that 1 to 1.5 percent per 10,000 people suffer from Schizophrenia. “There are several factors affecting the mental health. People tend to keep mental sickness a secret from society due to fear. Mental issues should not be kept as a secret, but must be treated at the right time,” he said.

Dr. Prasad said that people must come forward to help those with mental issues instead of turning a blind eye or neglecting them. “Proper treatment will cure them and bring them back to form. In this regard the Judiciary, Health and the Police Departments are jointly organising various programmes to create awareness,” he added. A street play was also staged.

Department of Health and Family Welfare Divisional Joint Director Dr. M.R. Udaykumar, District Surgeon Dr. Rajeshwari, District TB Eradication Officer Dr. Siraj Ahmed, District Vector-Borne Diseases Control Officer Dr. S. Chidambara, District Mental Health Programme Officer Dr. M.S. Manjuprasad and others were present.