Legal aid clinic comes up at Yerawada Mental Hospital
To facilitate legal help, the Symbiosis Law School along with DLSA joined hands to create legal awareness and provide assistance with litigation, and mental awareness
Pune
The recently established legal aid clinic at the Regional Mental Hospital in Yerawada is assisting mental hospital inmates by contributing to patient rights, capacity building, and awareness.
The clinic is organised by Symbiosis Law School’s Community Legal Care and Literacy Cell in collaboration with the District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) and focuses on a debate on mental health law and its accompanying problems.
To facilitate legal help, the Symbiosis Law School along with DLSA joined hands to create legal awareness and provide assistance with litigation, and mental awareness.
The legal aid clinic was inaugurated on September 21 in the presence of Sunil Patil, superintendent, Regional Mental Hospital at Yerwada, Pune. Prof (Dr) Shashikala Gurpur outlined the scope and objectives of the legal aid clinic at the regional mental health hospital.
She emphasised that the clinic would provide legal assistance for various matters, including property disputes and family and matrimonial disputes.
“Through the establishment of a legal aid clinic within the Regional Mental Hospital, Pune, we are on a mission to provide access to justice to patients and their families on their journey to recovery. Through pre-litigation and litigation- counselling, mediation, legal awareness activities, workshops, and rehabilitation-related support, our team shall ensure that individuals facing mental health challenges not only receive the care they deserve but also gain a deep understanding of their legal rights. We’re committed to providing holistic assistance, from emotional well-being to legal support, as we serve them to experience their right to a better quality of life as a right-bearing citizen,” Gurpur said.
Dr Girija Mahale, head of the Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellness, Symbiosis International (Deemed University) discussed the importance of mental health in the legal field. Dr Mahale asserted that mental health is a fundamental right available to every citizen and encouraged a more inclusive approach to this issue.
Dr. Harinakshi Gosavi, senior psychiatrist at Regional Mental Hospital at Yerwada said, “The OPD within the ambit of district legal aid would provide speedy and efficient legal advice to all in need.”
