No mental rehab centre in Doon

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27

Though several multi-specialty hospitals have been set up in Dehradun city, a dedicated mental rehabilitation centre continues to elude mentally ill persons abandoned by their families.

For years, the issue has been hanging fire between the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare as to which of them would build the centre.

As the 1987 Mental Health Act does not recognize the fundamental differences between a mental health hospital and a mental health rehabilitation centre, it has been an accepted practice to send a mentally ill person found on streets by the police to the State Mental Health Institute at Dehradun.

But with 6 per cent of the population in Uttarakhand suffering from one or other form of mental disorder, the requirement of a mental rehabilitation centre where long-term treatment of patients is possible is being felt more than ever before. In fact, many undertrial and convicts with mental diseases are being kept in prison against the guidelines of the Supreme Court.

“The 30-bed State Mental Health Institute at Selaqui in Dehradun can provide immediate treatment only. Once the patient stabilizes, he or she has to be shifted home and the treatment ceases to be the same. It is here that the family support and rehabilitation centres can play a role in helping the patient integrate with society,” said Dr JS Bisht, senior psychiatrist, State Mental Health Institute.

As a way out, the Department of Social Welfare is planning to bring the mental health rehabilitation centre rules. The rules intend to take mental health care homes and rehabilitation centres out of the purview of the Mental Health Act 1987 and bring them under the Public Works Department Act. “Under the Public Works Department Act, the definition of disabilities also includes mental disabilities and this way, we will be able to set up centres. Here, professionals could be brought from the Department of Health,” said Atul Gupta, Additional Secretary, Social Welfare.

Once the rules for running rehabilitation centers are framed, the Social Welfare Department would find it easy to issue licences and supervise the centres easily.