MENTALLY ill Queenslanders may be mistaken for pedophiles and bullied if they are forced to wear GPS monitoring bracelets, medical professionals warn.
The state government wants to amend Queensland's Mental Health Act to allow doctors to use tracking devices to monitor patients who are forcibly detained under a forensic order.
But mental health practitioners have slammed the idea, saying the risks to the patient far outweigh any benefits to them or the community.
Forensic psychologist Rebekah Doley says patients already have to deal with stigma about mental illness, without being forced to wear the same device as violent and sexual offenders.
"Using a device that the community recognises as being associated with dangerous prisoners is concerning when you are applying it to people who have a much lower rate of reoffending generally," she told parliament's Health and Community Services Committee on Wednesday.
She said only two forensic patients had escaped from secure mental health wards in the past three years, indicating the risk was low.
Australian Medical Association Queensland President Alex Markwell said patients should have to wear tracking devices only if they would otherwise have been classed as a violent or sexual offender.
Concerns were raised that the move would also be a violation of human rights.
Experts addressing the committee also criticised the government's plan to allow doctors to suspend limited community treatment, which allows patients detained on forensic orders to continue their treatment in the community.
Medical practitioners said they were generally supportive of the government's plan to set up a Queensland Mental Health Commission.
However, most who spoke on Wednesday called for more staff, like a deputy commissioner, to be included in the commission to help with its workload.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Patients could be 'confused as pedophiles'
Dengan url
https://bosedollar.blogspot.com/2013/02/patients-could-be-confused-as-pedophiles.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Patients could be 'confused as pedophiles'
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Patients could be 'confused as pedophiles'
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar