Complaint hotline also proposed in response to deranged murderous rampage

The government is mulling a plan intended to protect the public from potentially disturbed mental patients. A proposal for a phone-in complaints mechanism comes in response to the latest tragedy Saturday, when a mentally ill man ran amok with a chopper at a Kwai Chung housing estate, killing two and injuring three others before he could be subdued.

"(One) area to consider is how we can support the family members as well as neighbors in cases when somebody is out of control, so that social workers and professionals can intervene as early as possible," Secretary for Health York Chow said on the sidelines of the Hospital Authority (HA) Convention launch Monday.

He said the government will train another 75 case workers in addition to the 25 already hired in its last recruitment drive.

There are 198 mental health case workers in the city, handling roughly 40,000 mentally ill people living in communities, Chow said.

According to reports about Saturday's incident, the accused 42-year-old Li Chung-man, a man suffering from mental illness, had missed his last, monthly check-up with his mental health worker. Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority Shane Solomon said mentally ill patients were "free to come and go" as they please, in connection with their appointments.

"They aren't prisoners and (are) free to exercise judgment," he said. Potentially dangerous mentally ill people, however, can be forcibly taken into institutional care, he added.

Typically a triage system is used to assess the potential danger of no-shows but the follow-up process stops at the door if case workers are not able to find the individual after paying a home visit.

Responding to residents' calls to evict the mentally ill from their estate where the rampage took place, Solomon said the government still supports the policy of reintegrating rehabilitated mentally ill patients into the general population.

He also said the HA will await the outcome of a Coroner's inquest before making further changes to its procedures.

In a brief statement to reporters, Chief Executive Donald Tsang said the government increased funding for mental heath to HK$100 million from HK$30 million last year.

Appearing at Tsuen Wan Magistrates Monday, Li entered no plea on two counts of murder and three counts of wounding with intent.

His next appearance in court will be May 24, pending psychiatric reports.

The Saturday morning attack at the Kwai Shing East Estate resulted in the deaths of a 35-year-old man, who worked at the estate, and a 56-year-old woman.

A 32-year-old man who also worked at the estate was in stable condition at Yan Chai Hospital. A 50-year-old woman who remains in critical condition and a 58-year-old resident in serious condition were at Princess Margaret Hospital.

Li lived alone at the estate since July 2005. He was admitted to Kwung Chung Hospital in September 2004 for treatment of a mental illness.

Li served two years and eight months in prison for chopping his wife a decade ago. He had reportedly threatened neighbors with a knife, complaining of the noise created by children playing in the hallway.

China Daily

(HK Edition 05/11/2010 page1)