How many persons in the Cayman Islands suffer from mental health?

Don’t know.

How many persons in HMP Northward and Fairbanks are mentally ill?

Don’t know.

How many people have criminal convictions who are mentally ill?

Don’t know.

Dr Arline McGill who was on duty at the hospital mental health unit refused to admit a mental health patient, Debbie Ebanks, despite a court order ordering her admission. Was the doctor reprimanded?

Don’t know.

Will Dr McGill be charged with failing to obey a court order?

Don’t know.

Dr McGill declared Debbie Ebanks was not suffering from mental health issues. How did she come to this conclusion?

Don’t know.

When the Prison Director Neil Lavis finally managed to obtain a place for Ebanks at the hospital McGill administered intravenous anti-psychotic drugs to her. What led the doctor to change her mind Ebanks was mentally ill?

Don’t know.

Is trying to steal something to eat, even though brandishing a machete (because she is mentally ill) an excuse to lock her up in a prison?

No.

Do we have proper facilities here in the Cayman Islands for mentally ill patients?

No.

When will this appalling situation be rectified?

Don’t know. However, a steering committee has been formed to address the situation.

When will the steering committee have definite plans on where the mental health facility will be built and when?

Don’t know.

Why don’t the present prison facilities we have become temporarily equipped with the necessary treatment skills to deal with mental patients?

Don’t know.

Has anyone looked into the costs of doing this?

Don’t know?

Has anyone actually sat down and done an exercise in how much it costs to lock a mentally ill person up in the ill-equipped prisons against what it would cost to provide proper treatment and be able to release the patient?

Don’t know.

Is the answer then for us to continue as we are?

YES.