SC directs mental hospitals to implement guidelines framed by Centre

The Supreme Court on Monday directed all states and Union Territories, which are running mental hospitals to implement the guidelines framed by the Central Government.

The Apex Court also directed them to file a status report.

The Apex Court passed the direction after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Gaurav Kumar Bansal.

On February 22, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to frame guidelines for rehabilitation of persons who have been cured of their mental illness.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J.S. Khehar observed that after mentally ill persons are cured, not even their family members are willing to take them back home.

The Supreme Court then told Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, who was representing the Centre, that the government cannot allow a person to be kept in a mental asylum or a nursing home after he or she is fully cured of the ailment.

The Solicitor General, however, told the bench that they needed some time as two ministries - Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Justice - were involved in this process.

The Apex Court gave eight weeks time to the Centre for this.

The Apex Court also asked the government to place before it the guidelines or scheme for its consideration and posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by advocate G.K. Bansal who had raised the issue of release of about 300 persons from various mental hospitals in Uttar Pradesh, alleging they were still languishing there despite being cured of their ailments and most of them belonged to poorer sections.