Question : Central Mental Health Authority

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Central Mental Authority has been constituted, if so, the number of Central Mental Health Establishments registered with it;

(b) the details of the members of the aforesaid authority nominated by the Central Government;

(c) the number of halfway homes and sheltered accommodations that have been established by the Government after implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017;

(d) whether the Government has conducted a social audit or surprise inspections of Central Mental Health Hospitals, halfway homes, etc., if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether a social awareness campaign to abolish the stigma of mental illness and psychiatric drugs has been organised by the Government if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether an All-India Mental Healthcare Helpline number as mentioned under the National Mental Health Programme, has been started, if so, the details thereof along with the number of
complaints received regarding the use of chains or sterlisations for treatment of mental health patients?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (c): The Government vide Notification in the Official Gazette dated 04/12/2018 has constituted the Central Mental Health Authority under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. The details of the members of the Central Mental Health Authority are annexed.

As per Section 122(2)(e) of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, the minimum standards of facilities and services to be fulfilled for the purpose of establishment and registration by the Mental Health Establishments including halfway homes and sheltered accommodations shall be specified by the regulations made by the Central or State Authority, as the case may be.
Further, as per sub-section (6) of Section 65 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, the Authority shall, within a period of eighteen months from the commencement of the Act, by notification, specify the minimum standards for different categories of mental health establishments.

As such none of the Central Mental Health Establishments have got registered with the Authority and no halfway homes and sheltered accommodations established.

(d): Pursuant to the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the matter of Special Leave Petition (Civil) no. 39321/2012 in the matter of Reena Banerjee & Ors Vs. Government of NCT of Delhi & Ors, an Inspection of the three Central Mental Health Institutions, namely, National Institute of Mental Health and Nuero Sciences, Bangalore, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi and Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam was conducted by various Inspection teams comprising of experts from AIIMS, Delhi, Sardarjung Hospital, Delhi and other experts during May, 2018 and July, 2018 and a report thereof was submitted to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.

(e): The Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are an integral part of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) to generate awareness among masses towards mental illness. During the year 2018-19 an amount of Rs. 5 Crore has been allocated for undertaking various Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities under the NMHP. Additionally, at the District level, funds upto Rs. 4 lakh per District are provided for various IEC activities such as awareness messages in local newspapers and radio, street plays, wall paintings, awareness generation activities in the community, schools, workplaces with community involvement, etc. under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP).

(f): No such All-India Mental Healthcare helpline has been started under the National Mental Health Programme. However, as per available information, Karnataka Government has set up a health helpline “Aaryogya-vani” (toll free number: 104) with an integrated mental health helpline. The helpline witnessed about 70,000 enquiries about mental health in the year 2017.