Unregistered rehab centres to be penalised

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 16

Private de-addiction and rehabilitation centres running clandestinely in the state without proper registration with the Himachal Pradesh State Mental Health Authority (HPSMHA) will be imposed a penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh.

“It is mandatory for all mental health establishments, including de-addiction centres and rehabilitation centres, running in the state to get registered under Section 65 of the Mental Health Care Act 2017. Establishments that defy the provisions of the Act will be dealt with as per Section 107 of the Act that has the provision of penalties,” says Dr Sanjay Pathak, Chief Executive Officer, HPSMHA.

The fine would range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 for the first violation, Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh for the second and Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for the third violation. The professional providing services in unregistered centres would also be liable to pay a fine of Rs 25,000, he said.

An FIR would also be registered under Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the operators or the NGO running unregistered establishments in the case of the death of a patient. The orders come after a person reportedly died in an unauthorised de-addiction centre in Gagret subdivision of Una district last month.

In August last year, the HPSMHA had ordered the closure of two de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in Kasauli subdivision of Parwanoo in Solan district following the death of two inmates. Inspections were conducted after it came to the notice of the mental health authority that norms and guidelines were not being followed. Another issue is that in several establishments patients are not examined by a medical officer or physiatrists and the centres charge money for the services and facilities not provided to patients. At present, there are 65 de-addiction and rehabilitation centres in the state, most of these located in Una and Solan.