Mental Healthcare System in India

16 Apr Mental Healthcare System in India

Mental Healthcare System in India – Today Current Affairs

(GS Paper-II, Polity,Constitution,Governance,Social Justice and International Relations) 

Source: Indian Express

Today Current Affairs

Why in News?

Recently the cases of human rights violation of Mental Healthcare patients have been found in Thiruvananthapuram where patients were found locked up in cells with tin roofs and closed windows.

Details about the issues : The Hindu Analysis

• In the month of February an inmate was murdered by other at the mental health centre in Kozhikode.
• Then, following the directions of the High Court of Kerala, the district judge conducted an inquiry and reported many issues of violations of rights of mental healthcare patients.
• Recently, the State Human Rights Commission has registered a case suo motu on the inhuman treatment of patients at the Mental Healthcare Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

What has been found at the ground? The Hindu Analysis

• The deplorable conditions of patients were found locked up in cells with tin roofs and closed windows.
• There have been gross violations of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 provisions which provided for the rights to mentally ill patients.
• There exists issues like infrastructure bottlenecks, shortage of staff and patients are being treated as prisoners.
• The authority was constituted to look into the matter in january 2021 but it has met only once so far against the mandate of meeting at least four times in a year.
• The efforts to constitute review boards have been initiated by the state mental health authority this month only.
• According to a survey by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 7.5% of the total country’s population is hit by mental illness.

Provisions of Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 : The Hindu Analysis

• It aims to provide mental healthcare services for persons with mental illness and ensures that these persons have a right to live life with dignity and are not being discriminated or harassed.
• It provided for the new definition of mental disorder which is broader than the earlier one. Today Current Affairs
  
• The Rights of persons with mental illness– It includes
  • Right to obtain mental health care
  • Right to live with dignity
  • Non-discrimination
  • Rights of confidentiality
  • Right to protection from barbaric and demeaning treatment
• A person with mental illness should have the right to make an advance directive that states how a patient wants to be treated for the illness and who shall be his nominated representative.
• A medical practitioner should certify the advance directives registered with the Mental Health Board.
• The Bill provides for setting-up the Central Mental Health Authority at national-level and State Mental Health Authority in each State.
• The Bill also specifies the process and procedure that need to be followed for admission, treatment and discharge of mentally-ill individuals, this is a milestone judgement which annulled Section 309 IPC which punishes person attempting to perform suicide. The Hindu Analysis
  
• The bill affirms that a person with mental illness shall not be subjected to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) therapy without the application of muscle relaxants and the anaesthesia.
• Electro-convulsive therapy for minors is prohibited and chaining in any manner or method is banned.
• WHO noted in a report in 2017 that there are less than two mental health professionals for every 100,000 people in the country.

The initiative taken so far : The Hindu Analysis

• The initiative of the Ministry of Education, the MANODARPAN to provide psychosocial support to students for their mental health and well-being.
• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched the 24×7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline “KIRAN” to provide relief and support to persons with Mental Illness.
• The government of India launched the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 1982 to focus on increasing the reach of minimum mental health services for the poor. The Hindu Analysis
  
• Also the Government of India has proposed to launch a National Tele Mental Health Program.
• The NGO ‘Sangath’  provides affordable mental healthcare by strengthening state and private sector services by training the community.

Future Course of action : The Hindu Analysis

Since mental healthcare is very crucial and vulnerable in nature, it is required from the side of the government to take the appropriate actions timely by taking all the stakeholders on board.

plutus ias daily current affairs 16 April 2022

In this article we mention all information about Mental Healthcare System in India  Today Current Affairs.