Norms violated, rehab centre near Parwanoo shut

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Solan, December 15

The State Mental Health Authority today cancelled the registration of a rehabilitation centre being run at Kamli village near Parwanoo after an inspection team found glaring violation of norms.

SP, Solan, Gaurav Singh said the Nari Sewa Foundation, a rehabilitation centre, was closed on the directions of the State Mental Health Authority.

Lacked facilities

• The centre was inspected after 14 women inmates fled on the night of December 9 to the nearby forest area but were brought back.
• A district team had inspected the centre on Thursday and found that it lacked facilities mandated under the law for patients admitted there

The centre was inspected after 14 women inmates fled on the night of December 9 resenting the failure of the staff to permit them to speak to their families on phone. They had fled to the nearby forest area but the police brought them back to the centre with the help of local residents. The local administration had submitted a report to senior officials yesterday. The incident exposed the shoddy security arrangements at the centre.

A team constituted under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and comprising the DSP, Parwanoo, SDM, Kasauli, Chief Medical Officer and other health officials inspected the centre yesterday. It found that the centre lacked facilities mandated under the law for patients admitted there. There was no doctor available for regular check-up of the inmates, medical records and proper security arrangements were also missing.

The centre was granted temporary registration in March. Its registration, however, was cancelled yesterday. Only two inmates were found in the centre during the inspection. Other 14 inmates had left for their homes along with their parents. All women hailed from Punjab and Haryana.

Notably, the National Commission for Women (NCW) had taken note of the incident and sought a report from the Chief Secrtary within three days. The commission had also directed the state authorities to look into the grievances of the inmates, including restricted communication with their families.