FISSPOTS RU PUT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN SPOTLIGHT FOR ANNUAL 10s TOURNEY

BY NIGEL MADO

The FissPots Rugby Union Club is using its annual charity rugby tournament to draw attention to the need for greater mental-health awareness and support in Papua New Guinea.

The club has selected Laloki Psychiatric Hospital as the beneficiary of this year’s fundraising tournament, with proceeds to support patient care, facility improvements and community mental-health initiatives.

FissPots President Jack Kariko said the decision to support Laloki Psychiatric Hospital reflects the club’s broader commitment to using rugby to support charitable causes that do not always receive significant corporate backing.

Vice President Malcolm Kulu said there was a major need for greater mental-health awareness in PNG, particularly to help communities identify people who require assistance and ensure appropriate support systems are available.
He said awareness was needed not only so members of the public could identify people in need, but also to ensure support systems were available for those requiring assistance.

Kulu said mental health was becoming an increasingly important issue in PNG, but awareness and funding remained inadequate. He said there was a need for greater capacity to identify mental-health problems and provide appropriate support to people experiencing them.

Kariko said mental-health issues affected families and communities across society and that greater community awareness was needed.

He said organisations such as Laloki Psychiatric Hospital were doing their best, but there was also a need for communities to better understand mental health and recognise symptoms among both young and older people.

The club’s approach is to use its annual charity tournament to highlight causes that may otherwise struggle to attract sufficient support.