Vijender Gupta pushes for mental healthcare improvement

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta on Friday urged lieutenant- governor Anil Baijal to ensure that the AAP government urgently adopts the “Mental Healthcare Act, 2017” notified by the Centre in April this year. He said that the government did not appear to be earnest about its implementation, as no procedure has been initiated to implement the Act. He said that implementation of the Act in Delhi was definitely going to bring much needed positive changes in the lives of mentally-ill persons. 

Citing the need to urgently implement the Act in the national capital, Mr Gupta said that the Act provides for protecting and restoring property rights of mentally ill persons. It endows them with right to access mental health care and treatment. “It provides for health care and services to people with mental illness and decriminalises suicide. There is urgent need to protect the rights of mentally ill patients and remove the stigma of criminality from the lives of people who attempt to commit suicide. The bill recognizes that it is committed under severe mental stress,” added Mr Gupta.  

According to Mr Gupta, as per Delhi Statistical Hand Book, 2016 the percentage of mental patients is 11.23 per cent of the total population. “Presuming that the population of Delhi is 2.25 crore, the number of mentally disabled persons comes to nearly 25 lakh. Presently such large number of people needs to be provided better mental care facilities. At present there are no homes for mentally ill patients and shelters remain in disarray,” claimed Mr Gupta. 

Highlighting the benefits of the Act, Mr Gupta said that the electro convulsive therapy (ECT) will only be allowed with the use of anesthesia and, moreover, out of bounds for minors.