Ministry farewells psychiatrist
THE story of a man who retired from the civil service after treating Fiji’s mental patients for more than 16 years was published in The Fiji Times on February 13, 1979.
Dr Rama Narayan worked at the St Giles Psychiatric Hospital from 1963.
He was appointed medical superintendent in 1973 and was Government’s only qualified psychiatrist at the time.
Speaking in a room he had used as an office for six years, Dr Narayan told of the constant danger faced in dealing with his patients and how he thought mental care could be improved.
He related how he was assaulted by an impulsive patient back in 1969. His glasses broke during the incident and almost cost him his eyesight.
The patient had asked to go home but was refused.
He turned and punched Dr Narayan in the face.
He was the victim of another minor assault in 1971.
“But these are things you can expect from this sort of work,” he said.
In fact, he said, there were many other cases of assault by the patients.
“Almost all the staff have been assaulted at one time or another and some more than once.”
Dr Narayan also recalled another patient who had caused him restless days and sleepless nights trying to find a way to calm his violent behaviour.
“We were all frightened of going near him but we eventually calmed him.”
He said running the institution was not an easy task.
“One needs strict discipline and an urge to try to solve all cases.
“However violent a patient was when admitted, they would become as gentle as ever when you know how to get through to them.”
Dr Narayan, who won two Commonwealth scholarships for specialised training in psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand, said Fiji should continue to borrow ideas from overseas and apply them when applicable.
As far as basic mental care was concerned, Dr Narayan said for a small country, Fiji was doing all right.
In February 1979, there were 180 patients at St Giles.
Dr Narayan said the hospital treated about 3000 mental outpatient cases annually.
Despite having 90 staff members working under his command, including a doctor and three qualified nurses, he faced shortage at times.
He complimented his staff members for their fine effort in helping run the institution.
At a farewell function for him, the then Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr Jona Senilagakali said Dr Narayan’s resignation came as a surprise and was a blow to the ministry.
He said Dr Narayan owed nothing to the Government or to the people of Fiji since he met all the expenses of his medical training.
Dr Narayan attained his education at Dilkusha Primary School and Marist Brothers High School and did science and medical courses at Victoria University and Otago in New Zealand.
He returned to Fiji in 1957 and set up a general practice in Nausori but closed it down to join the civil service in 1961.
Asked why he was leaving the service, he said he was concerned about the education of his three children and it was time to spend more time with them.
After taking his pre-retirement leave, Dr Narayan migrated to Australia.