A serious situation unfolded in Driemasterstraat on Friday afternoon involving a woman identified as Ericka Dirksz, who is experiencing mental health problems. People recorded the incident and notified 24ora.com after Dirksz was seen walking in the middle of the road and throwing herself onto the roundabout.
Police arrived at the scene and detained her. Because of her condition, she was taken to Respaldo. However, according to her mother, there was no room available to keep her there.
The situation has once again highlighted concerns about mental health care in Aruba. Several people who recorded the incident expressed their concern on social media, but Dirksz’s mother says she is also struggling to find help for her daughter. She said that exposing the situation may be the only way to find a solution.
Lisette Gomes, Dirksz’s mother, said her daughter’s situation has been ongoing for months. Seeing her daughter in this condition has been extremely difficult for Gomes.
Gomes said Respaldo is not doing anything and that she wants to know what she needs to do to get her daughter the help she needs. She questioned whether she needs to let her daughter hurt herself before she can be admitted. According to Gomes, the situation is inhumane for her daughter.
She said it is extremely painful to see what her daughter is going through, especially after what she witnessed on Friday. Gomes said she has not been able to get the help she needs. She received a call from Respaldo informing her that there was no room available for her daughter and that she had to let her leave.
Gomes said she has spoken with Janine Rodriguez, from Stichting HUNTO, and police stations in Oranjestad and San Nicolas. She said she is exhausted and still cannot find help for her daughter, leaving her with a great deal of pain and frustration.
Gomes said she was told that they would see whether a place would become available for her daughter in three weeks. She considers the situation urgent, especially since her daughter has been struggling with the condition for several months. A few days ago, she said, her daughter was assaulted in Pos Chikito. Gomes said the people who attacked her knew that she was not well.
She said her daughter is not receiving the help she needs and that even government ministries have not been able to assist.
Gomes is once again asking for help for her daughter and for urgent assistance with her situation.
