Aatish Laxman, a 26-year-old resident of Solapur, Maharashtra has been working for the betterment of people with mental health issues since the last three years.
Whenever Aatish meets a person who suffers from a mental health issue on the street, he strikes up a conversation with them and eventually gets them admitted at Solapur General Hospital and where the patients can start their treatment. He also provides medical treatment to mentally ill people who have been hurt and injured.
Aatish journey began when he met a woman named ‘Ramzana,’ she was mentally ill, he helped her and after this incident, he felt encouraged and felt that there was more he could do to help people affected with mental illnesses.
He went on to establish an NGO called ‘SAMBH.’ This NGO works exclusively to provide help to people who suffer from mental health conditions. Since the past 3 years, Aatish has rehabilitated 34 with mental health conditions and has helped provide medical aid to 150 people.
Speaking to My Medical Mantra, Aatish Kavita Laxman said, “The society still doesn’t accept a person who is mentally ill as one of their own. When I had started this I too faced a lot of criticism from the society. So, to stay away from them, I started my work from a graveyard, where we had peace.”
Aatish further said, “People are not aware of mental illness. So to create awareness among the people, I have been arranging lectures in colleges as well. My mission is to create a permanent shelter for people with mental illnesses, so they can also live their lives in a protected environment.”
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