HC directs ADGHS to submit report

Mumbai, Apr 25 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the Additional Director General of Health Service (ADGHS) to visit all the four regional Mental Hospitals in the state, personally and submit the report on facilities available to patients and whether the provisions of the Mental Health Act, 1978, are being strictly complied with.

The direction came from a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Swatenter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari in response to a petition filed by a medical practitioner in the field, Dr Chandrakala Sawant.

It was contention of the petitioner that provisions of the Mental Health Act were not being implemented into true spirit as most of the Mental Hospitals lack facilities and treatment was being denied to many mentally ill patients.

The petitioner had raised a question about functioning of Yerawada Regional Mental Hospital in Pune, the largest Mental Hospital in Asia, saying that Rs six crore was spent on constructing family wards, meant for rehabilitating the patients but all the three buildings constructed, were lying idle since last three years for want of essential facilities.

Assistant Government Pleader Pradip Patil clarified that there was a proposal for constructing six dormitories for patients. He added that construction of three of the dormitories were completed and that of fourth one was in progress.

UNI