Authorities apathetic towards homes for mentally ill: Court

Irked over the deplorable condition of stay homes for mental patients here, a Delhi court has rapped authorities for their "apathetic" attitude and lack of sensitivity on the issue, saying this had caused files to move at a snail's pace in the bureaucratic corridors.
Various departments of Delhi Government including the Institute of Human Behaviour and Applied Sciences (IHBAS) need to work in sync and with cohesiveness to serve a social cause, the court said and asked the institutions to urgently come up with solutions to run these stay homes.
Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra's remarks came while hearing an application by short stay home 'Nirmal Chhaya' seeking transfer of a mentally-ill woman to some other home meant for such patients.

Half-way homes serve as a stop-gap place for people who have undergone treatment for mental illness before they venture into the real world.
The Delhi High Court had in 2009 passed directions for making half-way homes after a public interest litigation was filed on the issue.
The court was informed that Delhi Government's Department of Social Welfare has constructed five half-way homes, but it was depending upon the expertise of IHBAS for running these specialised institutions.

It was also apprised that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also directed IHBAS to take responsibility for running these homes but the institute was not coming up with any solution.

"This case is another glaring example where despite the intervention of Department of Social Welfare, none of the NGOs are willing to lodge the patient due to over crowding. Despite the hyper-sensitivity of the matter, the approval and files are moving at snail's pace in bureaucratic corridors.
The court said the issue of half-way homes, long stay
homes, day care institutions and pay-and-stay institutions was of utmost importance as there was an "urgent need" to provide best treatment and facilities to mentally ill patients.
"The state of affairs is deplorable. There are time bound directions given by the division bench of high court to construct model half-way homes and long stay homes.

"The Department of Social Welfare is mandated to replicate these homes in every district. The short stay homes run by NGOs are overcrowded. Mental health patients are constrained to live at homes which are not meant for them and have no facility to cater their special needs," it said.
It directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to ensure that the high court's order is complied with in letter and spirit.
The court also issued notices to IHBAS and Department of Health and Welfare to sort out the issue and appear before it through its representative on July 25.