NHRC's review meeting on Mental Health in Southern Region<br>

The National Human Rights Commission organized the Southern Region review meeting on mental health at Chennai in collaboration with Institute of Mental Health, Chennai on the 12th March, 2010. The meeting was chaired by Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member, NHRC and inaugurated by Mr. Justice A.S. Venkatachalamurthy, Chairperson, Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission.
Addressing the meeting, Mr. P.C. Sharma said that the core obligations in the area of mental health are availability, accessibility and non-discriminatory approach. Sharing the observations of the three earlier review meetings on mental health held in Eastern, Western and North-Eastern zones, Mr. Sharma made the following observations:
" Mental health seems to be a low priority area both for the Government and the civil society.
" There are no super speciality hospitals in mental health and the training facilities are woefully inadequate.
" The State could not hide behind the wheel of economic constraints in ensuring right to health as already stated by the Supreme Court.
" Devising measures for reliable diagnosis and prognosis of the mentally ill patients necessary.
" Medical Council of India should include mental health (psychiatry) as a compulsory component in the curriculum of MBBS.
" Directors of the mental health hospitals in Southern Region need to be given more powers by their respective States to improve the overall functioning.
Mr. Sharma said that number of public interest litigations filed during 1980s and 1990s in the Supreme Court are a pointer towards the pathetic condition of mental health care system in the country. The Commission, having the mandate of the Supreme Court is committed to the monitoring and assessment of the quality of mental health care in the country.
Earlier, inaugurating the meet Mr. Justice A.S. Venkatachalamurthy said that the Supreme Court in State of Punjab Vs Mohinder Singh Chawla case in 1997 ruled that the Right to Life includes Right to Health, and it is the duty of the State to pay full attention to this aspect by establishing more number of mental care hospitals. He emphasised the need for expansion and encouragement of community based programmes.
Mr. K.S. Money, Secretary General, NHRC explained why mental health deserves focussed attention as a human rights issue. He said that the vulnerability of mentally disabled persons to exploitation and their right to be treated with human dignity make it a priority area of human rights protection. He drew attention to the magnitude of the problem and the challenge posed by the growing burden of the disease. Recalling NHRC's role in improving the quality of mental health care in the country, he stressed the need to do more. He underlined the responsibility of the states to respect, protect and promote the rights of the mentally disabled and requested the representatives of the State Governments to make their presentations based on the format already circulated to ensure the preparation of a blue print for future action.
Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries and the participants, Dr. R. Sathianathan, Director, Institute of Mental Health, Chennai lauded the role of NHRC in monitoring several psychiatric hospitals through out the country. He said that social stigma attached with mental health
continues to be a challenge. Dr. Sathianathan said that early identification and timely follow
up review of the mental health problems is necessary.
The States/UTs covered during this review meeting included Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep. The Directors of Mental Hospitals, Professors of Psychiatry in the Medical Colleges, senior officers dealing with Mental Health in the region, concerned State Human Rights Commissions, officers of Ministry of Health &
Family Welfare, Government of India and other stakeholders attended the meeting.