Access to medical services are a priority for the treatment of mental illness in Benin

To improve the quality of the medical services offered, the Saint-Camille Association is adding medical equipment for its Tokan clinic in Cotonou, Benin. These psychiatric services, offered at minimal costs, aim to offer humane alternatives to treatment that dispel the stigmatization of people with mental illness and the use of practices such as the chaining to trees, social exclusion and abandonment.

The main objective of the project is to increase the services offered in Benin and to provide free access to digital physical diagnostics. The most impoverished people will benefit from these services at minimal cost. Consequently, treatments will be more accurate thanks to a more precise diagnosis, with a view to the reintegration of patients into their community.

The project promotes the value of compassion by offering reduced-cost services to the most deprived families and free services to those suffering from mental illness under the care of the Saint-Camille Association Care Centre.

In Benin, persistent superstitions surrounding mental health issues can put the lives of those suffering from these types of illnesses at grave risk. Women are particularly vulnerable to abuse and sexual assault. Evelyne, who has been diagnosed with severe schizophrenia and is mute, was rescued from the streets by the Saint-Camille Association. She arrived at the Tokan psychiatric centre near the capital Cotonou pregnant, having been abandoned by her community, and both her physical and mental health were in a bad state. At the centre, she was able to access shelter, protection from violence, and appropriate medical treatment, including obstetric care thanks to ultrasound equipment provided by the Roncalli Foundation.

Thanks to this equipment and the caring staff at the centre, many of whom are former patients, she delivered a healthy son, who was given the name Précieux (Precious) by one of the nurses at the Tokan centre.

Every day, between 120 and 300 people like Evelyne find safety and hope in the Saint-Camille centres. Through its work, the Saint-Camille Association not only restores dignity and protection to the most marginalized but also helps them reclaim a brighter future.