Dear all:<br><br>I have received the following email by Dr. Moody Zaky,
a psychiatrist who works in Egypt for the rights of people with mental health problems. <br><br>People with mental health issues are subject to stigma and discriminatory treatment all over the world and suffer from a disproportionate deprivation of rights. These rights include items such as: the fundamental right to be free from arbitrary detention, the right to informed consent to treatment, the right to health services, and the right to humane treatment (including the ability to make have a voice regarding care and treatment). <br>
<br>It seems that some are taking advantage of the recent changes in Egypt to "roll back" these rights. <br><br>Rather than put words in Dr. Zaky's mouth, I encourage you to please read his email, below, and provide whatever support you can.<br>
<br>(The attached letter by the EIPR is written in Arabic without translation; however, there is an English website at <a href="http://www.eipr.org/en">www.eipr.org/en</a>)<br><br>In solidarity,<br><br>Caroline Kim<br><br>
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<th align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE" nowrap>Subject: </th>
<td>Support Egypt and the rights of people with mental health
problems</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE" nowrap>Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:56:21 +0200</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE" nowrap>From: </th>
<td>Moody Zaky <a href="mailto:moodyzaky@me.com" target="_blank"><moodyzaky@me.com></a></td>
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Dear All,
<div>I hope this find you well. I am writing to you in a watershed
moment in the history of Egypt when the country and its political
and constitutional platform are reshaped again inspired by the
25Th January revolution of the youth. As the whole country poises
to enjoy a new dawn of democracy, freedom of speech and respect
for the universal human rights of its people, some still try to go
against the new spirit trying to reverse the progress we already
have in the area of Rights of people with mental health problems.</div>
<div>As you all know that we have a new MentalHealth Act passed by
the parliament and came to force in 2009 . During the process of
drafting that legislation, a great deal of resistance came from
some powerful psychiatrists who oppose fiercely the act for its
new themes regarding psychiatric patients' rights, independent
assessment, criteria for compulsory admissions, Semi-judiciary
body to monitor the implementation of act's provisions , etc......
Head of psychiatrists association was spree-heading the battle
against the new bill on all platforms using the fact the
psychiatrists in Egypt had not been practically subjected to any
kind of independent supervision over the previous 60 years. But we
eventually won the battle and the legislation was adopted as i
mentioned earlier.</div>
<div>And currently, following the chaos subsequent to incidents
that accompanied the revolution , head of Psychiatrist Association
has intensified his effort to revoke the act and to undermine its
enforcement in the country. Sadly, the new minister of health has
taken a position that is hard to understand. He has assigned the
head of the Psychiatric association to supervise a reform in the
area of mental health including to chose a committee on his own to
revisit the executive regulation of the mental health act,
reshuffling the supervisory bodies, to chose who runs the service
and the monitoring bodies. Minister of Health has ignored this
civil society request to include all respected parties in the
process of revisiting the act and its executive regulations. You
may find a copy attached of an open letter from one of most
active association in the field of rights of people with mental
health problems which is Egyptian Initiative for personal Rights
asking him to reconsider his respective decision . Moreover, head
of psychiatrists association in a meeting attended by psychiatrist
he pledged to bring down the law because psychiatrists should not
be monitored for such monitoring undermines the dignity of
psychiatrists, according to him. ( link to video of that meting
is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=63AE6057D76987C9" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=63AE6057D76987C9</a>)</div>
<div>We, who advocate for the rights of people with mental health
problems, are trying our best lobby against that move. We are
trying to have a meeting with the prime minister to explain our
position in the support of the mental health Act and the rights of
people with mental health problems. We believe that if we have not
fought for that, then rights of people with mental health problems
are really at risk. We would really appreciate your support to our
precious cause . we would be very grateful if you can issue an
official statement from your organization, and/or send letters of
support to our government ( prime minister, minister of health,
head of the supreme military council0. we would kindly ask you
also to circulate this letter to whomever you think can give us a
hand of help.</div>
<div>We really appreciate your help and my best regards.</div>
<div>Appreciatively,</div>
<div>Dr. Moody </div>
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