Core Group meeting on Mental Health
The first meeting of the Core Group on Mental Health was held on August 21, 2007 under the Chairmanship of Justice Dr. Shivaraj V. Patil, Member, NHRC. The Commission at present is monitoring the functioning in particular, in three Mental Health Hospitals at Agra, Gwalior and Ranchi. The Special Rapporteur, Dr. L. Mishra had visited these hospitals and reviewed the functioning of seven Mental Health Hospitals. He presented a background paper which aimed at preparing a perspective plan to bring about qualitative change and improving the functioning of these Hospitals over a period of time. The representatives of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also presented their view on the role of the Ministry in promoting Mental Health.
Summing up the discussions, the Chairperson said that there was a need for a clear, specific, selective and target oriented approach so that some objectives in a time bound manner could be achieved. Some of the important observations made by the Chairperson were that the Mentally ill persons need special care and attention of the State & of all of us as a matter of constitutional right and not as a matter of charity; the Core Group need not have the limited mandate for the three hospitals at Agra, Gwalior, Ranchi, it should be able to cover all the 37 State run Mental Hospitals in different parts of the country; there was a need to keep a tab on the performance of these institutions through the officers of the Commission, i.e. monitoring mechanism had to be in place; Commission would put pressure on those States, which had not yet established Mental Health Institutions; considering the increase in the incidents of Mental illness, 37 State run Mental Health Hospitals were not adequate; there was a need to enlarge the ambit of coverage and enhance the quality of service rendered.
The meeting came out with the following decisions:
§ Basic needs of mentally ill persons should be satisfied in terms of food, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation etc.
§ All the entitlements which were available to ordinary citizens should also be made available to mentally ill patients such as old age pension.
§ There was a need to rehabilitate Long Stay Patients (LSPs) by evolving a separate scheme for them.
§ Norms governing the social security schemes should be relaxed for mentally ill patients.
§ There was a need to focus on employment strategy and financial autonomy of mental health institutions.
§ The specific task of carrying out survey/study of mental institutions needs to be entrusted to credible NGOs.
§ Need for involvement of NGOs in developing occupational therapy for the patients should be explored.
§ There was a need for 'mortality analysis' to portray the magnitude and the sensitivity to deaths in mental institutions.
§ NHRC should hold annual meeting with the Secretaries of State Health Departments, which would lead to better coordination on the issue.
§ Fresh proposal regarding halfway home should be formulated more systematically.
§ To meet the shortfall of manpower, the existing PG Norm of 'One Professor for one Student' in psychiatry should be relaxed in consultation with Medical Council of India.
§ More mental health institutions should be established to cater to the need of growing number of patients in the country.
§ There was a need for subsidized drugs for mentally ill persons.
§ A thorough study/survey of each mental institution should be carried out to comprehend specific problem.
§ Media needs to play a very key and active role in sensitizing the families and the community at large.
§ There was a need for replicating the best practices being followed by various mental institutions.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of Gwalior Mansik Arogyashala; Institute of Mental Health & Hospitals, RINPAS; Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. From NHRC's side Shri R. K. Bhargava, Secretary General; Smt Aruna Sharma, Joint Secretary; Dr. L. Mishra, Special Rapporteur and Dr. Sanjay Dubey, Director participated.
Summing up the discussions, the Chairperson said that there was a need for a clear, specific, selective and target oriented approach so that some objectives in a time bound manner could be achieved. Some of the important observations made by the Chairperson were that the Mentally ill persons need special care and attention of the State & of all of us as a matter of constitutional right and not as a matter of charity; the Core Group need not have the limited mandate for the three hospitals at Agra, Gwalior, Ranchi, it should be able to cover all the 37 State run Mental Hospitals in different parts of the country; there was a need to keep a tab on the performance of these institutions through the officers of the Commission, i.e. monitoring mechanism had to be in place; Commission would put pressure on those States, which had not yet established Mental Health Institutions; considering the increase in the incidents of Mental illness, 37 State run Mental Health Hospitals were not adequate; there was a need to enlarge the ambit of coverage and enhance the quality of service rendered.
The meeting came out with the following decisions:
§ Basic needs of mentally ill persons should be satisfied in terms of food, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation etc.
§ All the entitlements which were available to ordinary citizens should also be made available to mentally ill patients such as old age pension.
§ There was a need to rehabilitate Long Stay Patients (LSPs) by evolving a separate scheme for them.
§ Norms governing the social security schemes should be relaxed for mentally ill patients.
§ There was a need to focus on employment strategy and financial autonomy of mental health institutions.
§ The specific task of carrying out survey/study of mental institutions needs to be entrusted to credible NGOs.
§ Need for involvement of NGOs in developing occupational therapy for the patients should be explored.
§ There was a need for 'mortality analysis' to portray the magnitude and the sensitivity to deaths in mental institutions.
§ NHRC should hold annual meeting with the Secretaries of State Health Departments, which would lead to better coordination on the issue.
§ Fresh proposal regarding halfway home should be formulated more systematically.
§ To meet the shortfall of manpower, the existing PG Norm of 'One Professor for one Student' in psychiatry should be relaxed in consultation with Medical Council of India.
§ More mental health institutions should be established to cater to the need of growing number of patients in the country.
§ There was a need for subsidized drugs for mentally ill persons.
§ A thorough study/survey of each mental institution should be carried out to comprehend specific problem.
§ Media needs to play a very key and active role in sensitizing the families and the community at large.
§ There was a need for replicating the best practices being followed by various mental institutions.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of Gwalior Mansik Arogyashala; Institute of Mental Health & Hospitals, RINPAS; Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. From NHRC's side Shri R. K. Bhargava, Secretary General; Smt Aruna Sharma, Joint Secretary; Dr. L. Mishra, Special Rapporteur and Dr. Sanjay Dubey, Director participated.