E-Paper
Finally, people with mental illness to get a group home in Chandigarh
The Chandigarh administration has decided to set up a group home for mentally ill people at the Cheshire Home in Sector 21, while a halfway home would come up in
The Chandigarh administration has decided to set up a group home for mentally ill people at the Cheshire Home in Sector 21, while a halfway home would come up in the Disability Assessment Rehabilitation and Triage (DART) building in Sector 32.
In a city with an ageing population, many emerging voices are demanding community (group) homes with long-term assisted living for persons with mental health issues.
Despite having provisions for sheltered accommodation in the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, the union territory (UT) has no such facility so far.
As reported earlier, at least 70 city-based residents have written over a hundred emails and letters and some have met the UT administrator and adviser, but have received only ‘sympathy and assurances’ in return, they say.
UT adviser Manoj Parida, secretary social welfare Yashpal Garg, director social welfare Navjot Kaur and UT chief engineer Mukesh Anand inspected the Cheshire Homes on Wednesday.
It emerged that 17 people, mostly handicapped, had encroached upon the property, which belongs to the administration. The inmates are mostly those who were earlier working at prepaid booths of the traffic police, which are now closed, stated an official press statement.
The double storey building is constructed on a two-kanal plot.
“Efforts will be made to engage some dedicated NGOs under the supervision of social welfare department to run these homes. The adviser has directed the officials to find out alternative jobs for handicapped persons, so that they could be gainfully employed and arrange their own accommodation independently. Further action on the issue will be taken in consultation with all departments,” the statement further read.
