Yang Keberadaan Orang Gila

Siang itu, ketika menyelinap diam diam dari kelas yang membosankan, saya tak sengaja membaca berita ini.

“We have 9,000 community health centers throughout the country, but only 70 establishments provide services for patients with mental problems,” she said during the commemoration of World Mental Health Day in Bogor, West Java.

There are only two mental hospitals in Jakarta — Duren Sawit Hospital and Soeharto Heerdjan Hospital — along with four mental health institutions and 44 community health centers that can handle patients with mental problems. 

Indonesia has one of the lowest psychiatrist-population ratios in the world. Currently, there are only 600 psychiatrists nationwide — approximately one psychiatrist for every 400,000 to 500,000 people.

The ideal ratio is one for every 30,000 people, which means Indonesia would need about another 8,000 psychiatrists.

Saya, entah kenapa, kesal membaca berita ini. Saya paham, naif jika tetiba saya berharap pemerintah atau masyarakat melirik masalah ini. Mungkin kita lebih khawatir populasi orang utan punah ketimbang bertambahnya orang orang gila. Kenapa tidak sekalian pemerintah membantai saja? Toh, tak ada yang mau mengurus dan merawat mereka.