The Bombay High Court (HC) has directed the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) and the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) to disclose the list of patients who were declared medically fit for release from mental health institutions but were refused by their families.
The list will contain details such as the number of patients, dates of admissions, length of stay, medical professionals' assessments, and current conditions.
The court was hearing a plea filed by psychiatrist Dr. Harish Shetty, who called attention to the issue of patients held in hospitals despite being fully cured from their illnesses as they are turned down by their families.
Dr. Shetty has also pushed for the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act of 2017, which calls for such patients to receive rehabilitation. MSLSA has submitted statistics on 569 patients who were reunited with their families, but it lacked separate figures for private and public institutions.
In response to the court's directive, MSLSA has made a submission. However, the petitioner's attorney and the amicus curiae argued that the problem was urgent in government hospitals.
It was also noted that the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) programme, which provides legal services to mentally ill and mentally disabled people, had not been updated to comply with the 2017 Mental Health Act and the 2016 Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act. MSLSA has communicated with NALSA to ensure compliance with the legislation.
Senior counsel Vishwajeet Sawant, speaking on behalf of SMHA, stated that a 24x7 toll-free helpline had been established for families of patients with mental illnesses. On March 10, the government published a notification to establish a fund for the State Mental Health Authority.
The court has requested MSLSA and SMHA to coordinate efforts for the adoption of the NALSA scheme and disclose patient data. The hearing of the petition will continue on June 16.
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