HYDERABAD: A Legal Aid Clinic to help mentally-ill patients, illiterates or those who belong to deprived backgrounds can get legal help, was inaugurated at the Institute of Mental Health, at Erragadda on Saturday.
Justice V Ramasubramanian, Judge, High Court Judicature at Hyderabad, and Executive Chairman of Telangana State Legal Services Authority, said National Legal Services Authority promoted seven schemes, one of which was to address needs of people who are mentally ill and mentally challenged.
An advocate and para legal volunteers would be available at the Legal Aid Clinic located in the Institute of Mental Health. It will work on Wednesdays and Saturdays, during Out-Patient hours of the hospital.
Justice Ramasubramanian, who inaugurated the clinic, said that mentally challenged persons face two kinds of problems.
“Number one is the acceptability issue with family members of patients who have been cured. The second is problem regarding rehabilitation,” he said at the programme organised by TSLegal Services Authority, along with City Civil Court Legal Services Authority, Hyderabad, in coordination with Institute of Mental Health, Hyderabad.
Regarding acceptability in family, he said that it is unfortunate for people living in poverty to accept a person with mental challenges.
“In Tamil Nadu, the government announced a pension scheme for persons who are cured of mental illnesses. They get `3,000 or so after they are cured. This improves the chances of acceptability with members of family,” he said.
Stating that main objective of the clinic is for benefit of mentally impaired, ill people, and protecting their rights, PV Ram Babu, Member Secretary, in-charge, TS Legal Services Authority, said that if a mentally ill person is an orphan, the state is the guardian and custodian.
“Even they are citizens. They should get the rights a citizen of the country is guaranteed by Constitution,” he said.