Psychiatric patients are being neglected at general and specialized hospitals, said a report by the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

The commission has made recommendations to increase the capacity of general and specialized hospitals working in the psychiatric and drug rehabilitation fields. The recommendations were made after it conducted a study on psychiatric health of the population.

“The rights of psychiatric patients continue to be neglected, either by the families of patients or by the health institutions treating them,” said one source.

“This proposal is at the forefront of the commission’s priorities,” said Mazen Batterjee, general supervisor of its branch in Makkah.

“This is a humanitarian initiative that is being attended to by the commission,” said Jawaher Alnahari, head of women’s department at the commission’s Makkah branch.

“Men constitute the majority of cases,” she said. “The families of female patients are reluctant to bring them in for treatment for fear of being shamed. In fact, many are locked up inside their houses in inhumane conditions and deprived of food. Many die during confinement.”

“We hope that new provisions will address this problem,” she said. “Many of these patients end up alienated from society, while most are denied work and even marriage.”