The Belmopan Mental Health Consumer Association was formed in 2004. Love News spoke with President of the Association, Orlando Pulido.
ldquo;One of its major objectives is to bring people who have had the trauma of mental disorder together to work under one goal and that is to bring to an end stigmatization against them and to integrate them into society.

We are well aware of the advances in psychiatry has been so great over that last ten years that it is now possible to confront and deal with mental disorder in a scientific way and alleviate any of the sufferings that we now see in the Belize City streets. rdquo;
Pulido said the Association has been working to try and make life easier for people with mental disorders.
ldquo;Some of the accomplishments the consumers make are on the first Mondays of every month we meet at Nurse Marion Casey rsquo;s office at the Western Regional Hospital and they meet to share ideas in regards to availability of medication to share what are the steps to take when confronted with a given mental illness.

As we are well aware there are different mental illnesses, Schizophrenia, By Polar disorder, depression and other illnesses and they discuss and come up with different strategies. Another is the building of awareness among the consumers and our partners the partners in society at large, the beautification of the clinic at the Western Regional Hospital was achieved last year as a result of consumers writing letters to the Private Sector with the assistance of Dr. Claudina Cayetano and other people.

rdquo;
Pulido told Love News one of the major challenges they are facing is access to medication.
ldquo;At this time we are still in limbo, the members of the association they do not know what rsquo;s the position with the medication there is a scarcity of medication countrywide in regards to the Atitical, the second generation medication like Risperdol and other medication. When used they have less side effects and allow our members to catalysts in the national development process.

The Director of Mental Health Programs dr. Claudina Cayetano told us that the Ministry of Health is presently looking at the data of what rsquo;s the position of what the demands for these medications are. When they can get as measure of what the demand then they will respond with the supplying of these medications.

People with psychiatric disorder who are not on these medications will again roam the streets endlessly or could die as a result of not getting these medications. rdquo;
Pulido said another of their challenges to reignite the passion for being advocates of people with mental disorders across the country.