Enhance the government's services for formerly hospitalized yet neglected mentally ill individuals: Himachal Pradesh High Court orders action
Himachal Pradesh High Court Directs Expansion of Support Infrastructure for Mentally Ill Patients
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued a directive to the state government, requiring the expansion of support infrastructure, particularly the establishment and expansion of halfway homes, to better assist treated but abandoned mentally ill patients. This move aims to ensure compliance with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and uphold the right to community living for persons with mental illness.
The directive comes after the High Court took suo motu cognisance of a July 2024 representation that highlighted inadequate infrastructure at the Himachal Hospital for Mental Health and Rehabilitation (HHMH) in Shimla, challenges faced in discharging court-admitted patients even after recovery, and the lack of legal or family support for patients post-treatment.
Advocate Vishali Lakhanpal, appointed as amicus curiae, submitted a report emphasizing these issues and the absence of essential medical testing facilities at HHMH, which compelled hospital staff to escort patients to other government medical colleges, risking their safety.
In response, the state government has assured the court that lab testing arrangements will be made on-site at HHMH. Moreover, it stated that two fully occupied halfway homes with 25-bed capacity, managed by NGOs, are currently functioning in Solan and Mandi districts. The government has also committed to expanding these facilities across Himachal Pradesh to comply with the Act.
The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 mandates adequate community support and infrastructure to protect the rights, dignity, and rehabilitation of mentally ill persons post-treatment. Expanding halfway homes and support services aligns with these statutory requirements, facilitating smoother patient reintegration and preventing abandonment.
NGOs like Surbi Social Awareness and Welfare Society, Shradha Rehabilitation Foundation, Welfare Society, and Aastha Welfare Society have successfully facilitated the reunion of 84 patients with their families. Their efforts underscore the need for improved community-based rehabilitation support for recovered patients who lack family support or legal mechanisms for reintegration.
The high court has appreciated the efforts of the amicus curiae and closed the proceedings, expecting the state to fulfill its commitment to expand the network of halfway homes in a phased manner. The court's direction includes the expansion of halfway homes for treated patients and the improvement of medical testing facilities at mental health institutions. The state government has also agreed to open at least one halfway home in each district, in consultation with the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and other stakeholders.
- India's Himachal Pradesh government has been directed by the High Court to expand support infrastructure, specifically the establishment and expansion of halfway homes, for mentally ill patients who are treated but abandoned, in line with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
- The state government has been encouraged to take this action to uphold the rights of persons with mental illness to community living as mandated by the Mental Healthcare Act.
- In response to the need for essential medical testing facilities, the state government has assured the court that laboratory testing arrangements will be made on-site at Himachal Hospital for Mental Health and Rehabilitation (HHMH) in Shimla.
- Considering the importance of mental health and the need for holistic health-and-wellness, the state government has agreed to open at least one halfway home in each district, in consultation with the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and other stakeholders, to accommodate more mental health patients, aligning with the objectives of the Mental Healthcare Act and the efforts of NGOs like Surbi Social Awareness and Welfare Society, Shradha Rehabilitation Foundation, Welfare Society, and Aastha Welfare Society.
