New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stressed the need to integrate the two initiatives of the Center to provide mental health citizen care services and their rehabilitation. ‘Tele-MANAS‘ is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) which was launched on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2022, under which a toll-free number can be dialed to contact counselors.
‘ASHRAYAN HAND‘ is a panel to be launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MS), which contains details of rehabilitation homes (RH)/halfway homes (HH) for patients with mental health disorders, their occupancy and facilities along with geographic locations in states and union territories.
A bench of the chief justice DY Chandrachud and Judges PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, who were shown a presentation of the MANO ASHRAYA initiative, said that proper integration of both initiatives should be done to provide effective assistance to mentally ill patients and urged both ministries (MHFW and MSJE) to make a presentation on the way forward.
It read: “Since the way forward would require proper collaboration with MHFW and MSJE, we request ASG Madhavi Divan to take up the matter at secretary level with both ministries. We request that at the next hearing date the way forward can be put before the court through the presentation of the assistant secretaries of both ministries”.
The court said: “We must also clarify that the present proceedings are not adversarial. However, this court intends to use its position as a facilitator to ensure that the purpose of having HR/HH is properly served, particularly given the great number of people, languishing in mental health institutions.
The court sent the matter for a new hearing after four weeks.
At first, the bank took note of Divan’s presentation that the Department for Disability Empowerment (DEPWD) prepared a dashboard for the MSJE and Rajesh Yadav, Deputy Registrar, made a presentation of the dashboard to the court. in the MSJE.
“The dashboard titled ‘MANO ASHRAYA’ contains details of (1) the total number of states and UTs that have government-run rehab/halfway homes, (2) the inmate-forked HR/HH intake capacity male and female (3 ) HR/HH occupation (4) number of people “languishing” in mental health institutions The dashboard contains specific HR/HH details, including contact details and number of male and female inmates women’s clothing and a map of the establishment and facilities,” he noted.
The bank said that the MHFW deals specifically with mental health institutions as part of its broader mandate to cover the area of mental health and the MSJE has prepared the dashboard as part of its mandate regarding halfway houses/ intermediate homes.
The high court was hearing a petition filed by lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal in which on September 1, 2021, he ordered MSJE to set up an online panel showing details regarding (a) availability of mental health institutions (b) facilities provided (c) capacity (d) occupancy and (e) region wise distribution of available intermediate/rehabilitation housing in the states/UTs.
In 2017, the high court had ordered all states and union territories to build halfway homes for the rehabilitation of thousands of mentally ill “Eligible for Discharge” who languished in mental hospitals for decades.
On September 1, 2021, the high court had expressed “serious concern” about alleged violations of women’s human rights in mental health institutions, such as tonsure on the head and lack of privacy, and asked the Center to discuss the issue immediately with the states. and UTs to alleviate these problems.
The high court had also ordered all states and UT to guarantee a time limit. covid-19 vaccination of all inmates housed in mental health institutions together with health workers and others.
He pointed out that, according to certain research studies carried out in 2016 by NIMHANS and National Women’s Commission in 2020, it has been highlighted that women institutionalized in government-run mental health facilities across the country face various humiliations and human rights violations.
Bansal in his plea has said that around 10,000 people who are in a condition to be discharged are forced to live in different psychiatric hospitals throughout the country due to social stigma.
On July 26, 2019, the high court had asked the Center to explore the possibility of rehabilitation and reintegration of people who have recovered from mental illness and are able to go home but languish in hospitals due to social stigma.
He had asked the Center to present a plan regarding compliance with his 2017 verdict whereby the court has asked all states and UT to rehabilitate those who have recovered from mental illness but are hospitalized.
Previously, the high court had favored the development of a uniform national policy for treating those with mental illness and their discharge from hospitals once cured.
