GR on mental health authority to be issued by September 5: State to HC

The court was assured that the authority would have its meeting and submit a report to the HC ro address the issues raised by the petitioner

Mumbai In reply to a petition filed by a psychiatrist and counsellor, the state government informed the Bombay high court (HC) that a mental health authority has already been constituted and a government resolution would be issued by September 5 to formalise it.

The division bench of justice Nitin Jamdar and justice NR Borkar, while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Harish Shetty, was informed by his advocate Pranati Mehra that many patients were languishing in mental homes in the state as the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 has not been properly implemented (HT PHOTO)

The court was assured that the authority would have its meeting and submit a report to the HC ro address the issues raised by the petitioner. The next hearing is posted for September 29.

The division bench of justice Nitin Jamdar and justice NR Borkar, while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Dr Harish Shetty, was informed by his advocate Pranati Mehra that many patients were languishing in mental homes in the state as the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 has not been properly implemented.

The bench was informed that the petitioner not only sought implementation of the 2017 Act but also sought a status report of all persons admitted in such mental health facilities and compliance with Supreme Court guidelines.

Pabale had submitted that the authority was currently not fully functional as many of its members who had completed their terms had not been replaced and the state was in the process of filling up the posts that had become vacant.

On Monday, the bench was informed by advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni that the State Mental Health Authority had already been constituted and a GR would be issued on September 5 confirming the same. The bench was also told that the authority would conduct a meeting wherein Dr Shetty would also be invited to share his concerns and the same would be included in the minutes of the meeting.

The court accepted the submissions and also directed the authority to submit a report of its meeting to the HC before September 29.

Dr Shetty filed the PIL after he came across a woman languishing in Thane Mental Hospital for the past 12 years. Neither her husband nor her family was willing to take her back, even though her condition was stated ‘normal’ way back in 2014.