THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state human rights commission has registered a case and ordered a probe into the violations at the Government Mental Health Centre (MHC), Peroorkada. The commission acted suo motu after noting a report published by TNIE on Wednesday that depicted the dilapidated condition of the centre and the inhuman treatment meted out to the inmates.
Commission Chairman Justice Antony Dominic ordered the health services director and the MHC superintendent to submit a report on the violations after a thorough investigation at the institution within three weeks. The order notes that the newspaper report said the condition of wards in the MHC was worse than prison cells.
It is learnt TNIE report will be brought to the notice of the Kerala High Court when it reconvenes after holidays on Monday. Advocate Ramkumar Nambiar, amicus curiae appointed by the HC in a related case, will be informing the court on the violations brought out by TNIE, said sources. The issue was brought to the notice of health principal secretary who is also the head of state mental health authority by a couple of members. They cited that the Mental Health Care Act of 2017 has made it clear that proper upkeep of mental hospitals was the responsibility of mental health authority.
Kerala is yet to implement the Act fully and that is cited by experts as the primary cause of the and inhuman conditions at MHCs in the state. Section 73 of Mental Health Care Act mandates the constitution of a mental health review board in every district to ensure that patients’ rights are not violated. “If a patient is involuntarily admitted, the hospital has no right to keep the patient in the hospital after 30 days.
Further treatment or discharge has to be decided after consultation with the review board. The board will hear what the patient has to say, review the condition and make a decision. But now this is not happening. Similarly, if a minor gets admitted at a hospital, the mental health review board should be consulted. But we don’t have a review board,” said a source.
Demand to raise standards at MHCs grows
Psychiatrist C J John, who is also a member of the State Mental Health Authority, said that it is high time the government spell out minimum standards for MHCs so that the review board, which will be constituted, can verify and audit the conditions of the institutions. “I hope the government will expedite the procedures and constitute the review board on a war footing. The Act should be implemented and the government should take corrective measures within the purview of the Act,” said John.
In 2012, the National Human Rights Commission also came up with a report to improve care and treatment at mental health care institutions, but all these recommendations remain on papers. Activist and advocate J Sandhya said that there is nobody to talk on behalf of the patients at mental health care institutions.
STAFF SHORTAGE CRIPPLES PATIENT CARE
Lack of proper infrastructure and human resources has forced hundreds of patients at the Govt Mental Health Centre, Peroorkada, to live under deplorable and inhuman conditions.