Electric shocks with naked wires
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Dec 10 — "Some peripheral health workers give electric shocks to the patients by using naked electric wires applied on both sides of the head. The idea is simply horrifying and sends chills down the spine of everyone who hears it."

This is stated in the report, "National mental health programmes: its status in Punjab and critique," submitted by Dr B.L. Goyal, President of the Indian Psychiatric Society, North Zone, and newly appointed Principal of Government Medical College here.

"By launching the NMHP, we are trying to reach those not reached. But we seem to be least concerned about mentally ill people who come to us in the hospitals for treatment. The mentally ill patients have a constitutional right to treatment", the report reads.

The main object of the district mental health programme under the NMHP is to provide sustainable basic mental health services to the community. Another aim of the programme is an early detection and treatment of patients within the community itself. Muktsar — the home district of the Chief Minister — is the first district to be adopted under this scheme.

The report says that though the World Health Organisation's (WHO) expert committee on mental health recommended that mental health care should be brought within the reach of the masses in developing countries through non-specialised health workers, yet quality medicare was not being provided to mental patients. The peripheral health workers with 15-days training can not give proper treatment to mental patients.