SC to hear plea seeking discharge of cured mental patients from hospital

The Supreme Court on Friday will hear the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed, seeking discharge of patients who have been cured of their mental ailments.

In the PIL filed, advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal has asked the court to pass an order to discharge the cured patients from the hospital, who are still lodged there with those under treatment.

Earlier in the week, the apex court showed its readiness to evolve a mechanism for rehabilitation of people discharged from mental asylums, whose kith and kin have been unwilling to take them back after their recovery.

The court, while pronouncing its judgment, said that it can interfere in this matter after the Centre clarify the nature of directions needed to help such persons who have been cured of mental illness.

The court was hearing a PIL which has raised the issue of release of about number of 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.

The court had earlier asked the Centre to frame guidelines for rehabilitation of persons who have been cured of mental illness, observing that it was a very sensitive matter.

The apex court had earlier favoured framing of a uniform national policy to deal with those suffering from mental illness and their release from hospitals after being cured.