Events of CHP
Conference on World Human Rights Day for legal awareness on Mental Health in Bihar
Organized by Bihar Legal Services Authority
Apurva Srishti, Legal Specialist at the Centre for Health Policy was nominated by the Health Department, Government of Bihar, as the resource person to present on the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 before the imminent members of Bihar Legal Services Authority (BLSA) and the Health department. Mr. Kishore Kunal, Assistant Registrar, BLSA, introduced the topic for the session ‘Mental Healthcare Act, 2017- the challenges’. The speaker, Ms. Apurva Srishti summarized the following points.
The 2017 Act was passed and approved by the Indian Parliament, and got assent of the President in April 2017. It eventually came into force from May 29, 2018. This legislation compliments the District Mental Health Program (DMHP), introduced by the Central Government in 1996, which seeks to ensure availability of mental healthcare at the community level, rather than at specialized mental health establishments such as Mental Hospitals. The State of Bihar has established DMHP facilities at 11 district hospitals, but is yet to implement the 2017 Act. The high burden of mental illness in India and in Bihar is marked by a high socio-economic burden, and requires a broad-ranging set of measures on part of the State.
The state is required to tackle systemic barriers such as lack of mental health literacy, stigma associated with mental illness and discrimination faced by mentally ill persons and their families. The availability of public health institutions providing mental healthcare is limited and there is a paucity of mental health professionals in the state. In this regard, this comprehensive legislation has caused a paradigm shift in understanding of mental illness and mental health in general. For the first time an exclusive chapter dealing with the Rights of Mentally ill persons has been included followed by a chapter on duties of appropriate government. It recognizes the right of all mentally ill persons to have access to mental healthcare at public health institutions. For persons falling below poverty line free access is envisaged by the 2017 Act.
Member Secretary, BLSA Mr. Sunil Dutta Mishra, chaired and moderated the session. In his concluding remarks, he emphasized the need for stronger initiatives on mental health awareness in the state, especially in respect of the rights of mentally persons, as envisaged by the 2017 Act.