Book & The Arts

Photo: Novriyadi/TNOLDepartment of Health in collaboration with Komunitas Peduli Skizofrenia Indonesia [Indonesian Schizophrenia Community] and some other parties holding a painting exhibition titled "Touch the Heart with a Soul' at the Hall of Department of Health from September 7-11, 2010.

The paintings are the works of People with Mental Problem [ODMK] or commonly called Schizophrenia.Photo: Novriyadi/TNOL

The unique, intelligent and full of feeling paintings seems to be an evidence that ODMK could also be a creative person and it's different with people's prejudice in seeing schizophrenia patients.

Photo: Novriyadi/TNOLA long painting depicting wayang characters such as Semar, Petruk, and Gareng is also displayed in the exhibition, stealing the attention of visitors.

Photo: Novriyadi/TNOLIn addition to paintings, photographs of Rhino Ariefiansyah titled "Two Sides" is also displayed in this exhibition. In the photo exhibition visitors can view the "Two Sides" treatment that has been accepted by the ODMK. There are bad treats as deprived, chained or exiled, while there's also a treat like a normal person.

Photo: Novriyadi/TNOLActually the word schizophrenia derived from the Greek, schizein (split) and phren-(mind). In Indonesia, schizophrenia is included the most severe mental disorder suffered by people. Department of Health through the Health Research Association in 2007 noted people with severe mental disorders reach 0.46 percent of the national population.

Photo: Novriyadi/TNOLSchizophrenia allegedly suffered by 6-19 persons per 1,000 population. If the number of Indonesia's population of around 200 million inhabitants, it means about 1.2 million Indonesian people are schizophrenic.

Today, medical science made progress with the discovery of the mechanisms of schizophrenia and anti-schizophrenia drugs allowing the patients to recover and have a normal life.