Bandung Regency Government Returns 20 ODGJ From Cilacap Rehabilitation Center

Bandung Regent Dadang Supriatna when giving a statement in Bandung Regency, West Java, Monday (4/12/2023). (ANTARA/Rubby Jovan)

BANDUNG - The Regency Government (Pemkab) of Bandung, West Java, has repatriated 20 people with mental disorders (ODGJ) from the Cilacap rehabilitation center, Central Java. They were transferred to the Service Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) of the Social Service in the local area. "We have instructed ODGJ from Bandung Regency that approximately 20 people have been brought to the UPTD in Baleendah District,” said Bandung Regent Dadang Supriatna in Bandung Regency, West Java, quoted from Antara, Monday, December 4. He explained that from the information circulating, as many as 40 ODGJ in Cilacap, after the data collection was carried out, it turned out that there were only 20 people based on data on the Bandung Regency ID card. He admitted that his party had coordinated with the rehabilitation center in Cilacap regarding the return of the ODGJs which would later be fostered by the Bandung Regency Social Service. "We directly anticipate the handling by the Bandung Regency Government, meaning we don't blame anyone, but what is clear is that we, the government, will attend how to deal with the ODGJ problem," he said. He ensured that UPTD Baleendah was a proper place supported by supporting infrastructure to be occupied by the ODGJ there. "“ We have fixed all the systems and in Baleendah,”" he said. Furthermore, he said that the handling of ODGJ could not be fully handled by the district/city government. The provincial government must also take a role in dealing with this problem. "It's true, when it comes to mental hospitals or the problem of handling this province, it seems like it, but we also don't deny ourselves that this is our shared responsibility," said Dadang. Head of the Bandung Regency Social Service, Indra Respati, said that related to the nominal amount of money that was never sent to a foundation in Cilacap, he said that initially there was no agreement to send money.

According to him, a foundation should be able to seek funding from other parties to manage ODGJ, not only relying on local governments including the Bandung Regency Government. "The foundation is free to collect funds from anyone. Right to finance the foundation, it can be from funding itself," said Indra.