Stop tonsuring mentally ill women patients: SC Centre Asked To Monitor State Facilities dhananjay.mahapa...@timesgroup.com New Delhi: With the objective of creating humane environs for cured and under-treatment mental health patients, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Union government to create a central dashboard and mandated the states to provide details of available healthcare facilities for these patients and halfway homes and rehab centres for the cured. “State governments are not doing anything for the mentally ill patients,” said a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli while reserving caustic comments for Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh as it found the two big states providing lip service towards ameliorating the difficulties faced by mentally ill patients and even by those who have been cured. It pulled up Maharashtra for shifting cured mentally ill patients to beggars home or old-age homes in the name of their rehabilitation, while it criticised the UP government for redesignating the old-age homes as halfway homes. While it said the Maharashtra action “left much to be desired”, it said the UP decision of redesignating existing institutions as halfway homes “are mere lip service” towards compliance of SC order directing setting up of halfway homes and rehabilitation centres for persons cured of mental illness. The bench accepted suggestion of additional solicitor general Madhavi Divan and advocate P Ramesh Kumar for creation of a central dashboard and mandated each state and Union Territory to fill details of existing mental healthcare facilities in their jurisdiction, intake capacity, occupancy status, number of patients cured, number of halfway homes and rehabilitation centres. SC also asked the Centre to ensure, through monthly stock taking, that each state filled the correct details in the dashboard and proceed expeditiously in setting up of halfway homes and rehab centres by November this year. The court posted the matter for further hearing in December second week. SC also appreciated efforts of amicus curiae Gaurav Kumar Bansal in presenting a ground report about the ill-treatment meted out to mentally ill women patients. Moved by the plight of the women lodged in mental healthcare facilities, the bench ordered that their human rights cannot be violated on any ground and directed authorities to forthwith stop tonsuring them. TIMES VIEW: Being mentally ill does not deprive one of the right to live with dignity. The 2017 Mental Health Care Act says that patients shall not be subject to compulsory tonsuring (shaving of head hair). It is distressing to know that the outdated practice continues in certain states. The apex court has rightly intervened in the matter. Hopefully, the upkeep of such patients in rehabs will also be examined and improved upon.
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