The central government told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it will set up an online portal within a month to provide “continuous information” regarding available mental health facilities in the country.
A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was listening to a PIL submitted by lawyer GK Bansal seeking rehabilitation and vaccination against COVID-19 of mentally ill people currently housed in various hospitals and mental health institutions in the whole country.
Additional Attorney General Madhvi Divan, appearing on behalf of the Centre, told the court, which also included Judges Hima Kohli and JB Pardiwala, that the government has called for tenders to display real-time information on the portal on mental health facilities down to the district level.
“The portal would be up and running in a period of one month,” the law enforcement officer said. The court then suspended the hearing on the PIL, saying it will be listed after a month.
On September 1, 2021, the high court approved a series of instructions, including one requesting the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to establish a dashboard to obtain ongoing information regarding various facilities available in the states and union territories ( UT) for people with mental health problems.
“We instruct that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment must establish an online dashboard in which details are filled in regarding: (i) availability of institutions; (ii) the facilities provided; (iii) capacity; (iv) occupation; and (v) the regional distribution of the Households of Interest at the state level and for the UTs is made available.
“The availability of intermediate homes should also be reflected on the online dashboard. Data from each State and Union Territory must be uploaded to the dashboard in real time,” the bank had ordered.
The high court previously disapproved of the practice of states to redesignate nursing homes and other custodial institutions as halfway houses for people who have been cured of mental illness, saying it will not serve the purpose of rehabilitation.
He had said that the installation of halfway homes and the rehabilitation of cured people should be done proactively across the country by states/UTs and mere redesignation of existing facilities will not serve the purpose.
The court had said it would be appropriate if the Center monitors progress and reports to the court periodically so that it does not have to take each state’s case individually to assess progress.
He had also said that the Ministry of Social Welfare and Empowerment should hold meetings every month to monitor the progress of setting up halfway houses and for the rehabilitation of those cured of mental illness under the terms of the court orders.
(With PTI inputs)
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