A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court last week urging implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 in Maharashtra..The petition highlighted the plight of patients still admitted in mental health institutions despite not being seriously ill. Implementation of the Act would protect the rights of persons with mental illnesses, and allow them to move Mental Health Review Boards to seek discharge, it was submitted..The plea, filed by a Mumbai-based psychiatrist, mentioned that it was inspired by a Family Court order from 2021 where it was mentioned that a woman had to spend 12 years at the Regional Mental Hospital in Thane ,after being abandoned by her family.She was admitted in 2009 and discharged in 2014. But since her husband refused to accept her, she spent 7 more years in the institution..The High Court was informed that despite the hospital following the Mental Health Act of 1987, which provides for periodic checkups and reports, the woman ended up spending 12 precious years of her life in the institution and was discharged only after the recommendation of a Court-appointed expert panel..The plea added that the family court judge in the case, Swati Chauhan, recorded that the woman's search for the Mental Health Review Board was arduous and she could not avail the benefit of the new law. She had discussed the the possibility of many more people similarly languishing in mental health institutions.The petition sought a report on the patients in mental health institutions across the State along with a probe in the case of the Thane hospital.A Bench led by Justice SS Shinde will hear the matter on March 30, 2022.
A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court last week urging implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 in Maharashtra..The petition highlighted the plight of patients still admitted in mental health institutions despite not being seriously ill. Implementation of the Act would protect the rights of persons with mental illnesses, and allow them to move Mental Health Review Boards to seek discharge, it was submitted..The plea, filed by a Mumbai-based psychiatrist, mentioned that it was inspired by a Family Court order from 2021 where it was mentioned that a woman had to spend 12 years at the Regional Mental Hospital in Thane ,after being abandoned by her family.She was admitted in 2009 and discharged in 2014. But since her husband refused to accept her, she spent 7 more years in the institution..The High Court was informed that despite the hospital following the Mental Health Act of 1987, which provides for periodic checkups and reports, the woman ended up spending 12 precious years of her life in the institution and was discharged only after the recommendation of a Court-appointed expert panel..The plea added that the family court judge in the case, Swati Chauhan, recorded that the woman's search for the Mental Health Review Board was arduous and she could not avail the benefit of the new law. She had discussed the the possibility of many more people similarly languishing in mental health institutions.The petition sought a report on the patients in mental health institutions across the State along with a probe in the case of the Thane hospital.A Bench led by Justice SS Shinde will hear the matter on March 30, 2022.
