The healing powers of bread

November 06, 2014 02:26 am | Updated 02:26 am IST - CHENNAI:

Patients recovering from mental illnesses help make about 300-400 loaves of bread a day. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Patients recovering from mental illnesses help make about 300-400 loaves of bread a day. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

In a small building on the campus of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), there’s flour on the tables and boxes of freshly-baked bread, stacked and ready to go.

Equipment lines one wall, while another is taken up by an industrial oven. Half-a-dozen men have just about finished for the day, around 3 p.m.

The bakery at IMH was begun back in 1976 as part of the industrial therapy centre, where patients recovering from mental illnesses are trained in a skill and work. Revamped in 2012, it now churns out between 300 and 400 loaves of bread a day and is hoping to expand.

“Last year, we began supplying close to 100 loaves a day to the ESI Hospital in Ayanavaram. The rest of the bread is used on campus for patients and in the canteen,” said K. Mohan, social worker at the industrial therapy centre.

Venkatesh has been working at the bakery for three months. The 32-year-old, who is recovering from schizophrenia and likes painting, said he helps push the bread into the oven and clean the place. Some of the bread is sold in the outpatient department by 26-year-old Selvaraj, while 52-year-old Rajesh said he puts in the flour and sugar into the dough mixer. All of them are supervised by a trained baker.

While some of the men reside at the institute, others have been discharged after recovery and come in to work during the day, said Mr. Mohan. “They all earn a small honorarium every month from the proceeds of the sales, while the rest goes towards procuring raw materials. It helps both the patients and their families. The patients get a sense of purpose and it helps in their rehabilitation. The father of one patient for instance, was refusing to take him back home saying he would do nothing all day. Now however, he has changed his mind seeing that his son can work and earn,” he said.

A senior official at the institute said they were hoping to supply bread to other hospitals next year. The capacity of the bakery is nearly double of what is made now, he said.

(The names of patients have been changed to protect their identity)

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