Goa govt to shift 120 patients from psychiatry institute

The Goa government has decided to shift 120 patients, who have recovered, from state-run Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) in order to pave way for new admissions.
Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today said patients, who have recovered and have not been taken by family members or caretakers for a long time, will be shifted to a state-run asylum and that the step has been taken in view of facilitating rising number of patients at the institute.
"There were frequent complaints about scarcity of beds in IPHB. We have also realised that there are several patients who have recovered but their family members have not taken them back," Parsekar told reporters today.

He said doctors have identified 120 such patients who have been living here even five years after their recovery.
The state cabinet in a meeting today decided to shift these patients to an asylum in Merces village near here.
"In the first phase, we are shifting 40 patients. And then will shift the rest," he said.
Parsekar said state authorities have been trying to track the residential address of the patients, but in several cases it is difficult to get it.
Though there was no breakup available with the government, the chief minister said many of these patients are from neighbouring states.