TN Govt to hold periodic inspection of mental health centres: Madras HC

CHENNAI: To protect the public interest and ensure standard mental health care, the Madras High Court directed the state government to conduct routine inspections of all mental health and de-addiction centres operating in the state.

Justice SM Subramaniam recently issued an order stating that rehabilitation or de-addiction institutes can not be run without the necessary approval and license. The district social welfare officer is required to take the necessary steps. “Periodical inspection of such institutions is essential in order to safeguard public interest,” he said.

The directive was given in response to a petition by Syed Ali Fathima filed in 2014 after her husband passed away at the facility. In her petition, she demanded that the license of Ever Green Rehabilitation Center in Chennai's suburb of Manimangalam should be revoked. The complainant sought compensation of Rs. 10 lakh for her family, reports The Indian Express.

The judge ordered the Director of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Kilpauk, to visit the centre within a week and take appropriate measures if any violations are discovered after noticing that the facility lacks the necessary permits required for running the facility.

The judge stated that the director has a responsibility to visit all such institutions from time to time to make sure that they are abiding by the rules and regulations. The judge further asked that the complainant is free to request compensation subject to the case's outcome and ordered the Chengalpattu district court to rule on the matter within four months.

Mental Health has been a glaring issue and state governments as well as the central government, has taken different steps to aid patients suffering from mental health problems. The Centre informed the Supreme Court last year that it would set up an online portal for seamless information in connection with mental health facilities available in the country.