On 23rd September 2023, the Telangana state government in Hyderabad has recently submitted an extensive report to the Telangana High Court regarding the progress of steps taken to implement the Mental Health Care Act, 2017. The initiative is the result of the significant development due to the state’s recent commitment to prioritize the mental health care system for the citizens to ensure the rights of those with mental illnesses.
Mental Health Care Act, 2017
The Mental Health Care Act,2017 was passed on 7 April 2017 and implemented on 29 May 2018. The Act has been passed by the Indian Government as an initiative to provide better mental health care services to the people. It aims to protect the rights of those individuals suffering from mental health issues and promote mental health awareness across the country. This nationwide approach has been already been picked and currently in progress across several states in India. The state of Telangana is also one of the states that are continuously working to align their healthcare services according to the Mental Health Care Act of 2017.
The State government has recently conveyed to the Telangana High Court that there are a total of 31,844 mentally ill and destitute patients who have been currently identified in the state. 27 patients under our care passed away as a result of age-related health issues, whereas 2,023 patients received medical attention and were later released from the hospital.
Expanding Mental Health Services
The state government has also informed the state high court regarding the establishment of a hospital consisting of 225-bed facilities dedicated to providing medical assistance and accommodations to mental health patients. In Telangana 27 medical colleges have acquired facilities to provide medical assistance to mentally ill patients in the state.
Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, along with Justice Shravan Kumar, referred to the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by the INSED (Integrated New Life Society for Education and Development). The PIL was presented for the purpose of seeking direction from the state government regarding the implementation of the Mental Health Care Act of 2017 and forming rehabilitation centers for providing the necessary medical and mental health services to the mentally ill patients present across all the districts.
Accountability in Healthcare
The state High Court has also directed the Principal Secretary of the department of the Disabled Welfare Department of the Medical and Health Department to produce an affidavit with extensive details regarding the total number of mentally ill patients currently identified across the state and the details of the ratio of psychiatrists and paramedical staff present to provide the necessary health care services int he district.
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