Plea in NHRC seeks public health programme for mentally ill homeless people

A petition was moved in National Human Right Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday seeking directions to the Centre, States and Union Territories to draft and implement a public health programme for the welfare of homeless people with mental illness across the country.

The petition filed by social activist and lawyer Vishnu Gupta stated that such people are mostly dependent on religious places like temples, mosques, dargahs, churches, etc for meals but since all such religious places are closed due to the ongoing lockdown, it causes utmost difficulties to them.

The plea said it is necessary to take care of these mentally ill homeless people and their living, eating arrangements should be done by the governments.

It also sought directions to Chief Secretaries to all States, the Chief Medical Officers of all the districts of the state to promptly identify and mark these people through subordinate staff and admit them to mental hospitals in the area with proper food facility with immediate effect.

The country is under a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.