Lok Sabha Question No. 4022 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-04
Subject: Central Mental Health Authority
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: M. VEERAPPA MOILY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4022 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 TH JANUARY, 2019

## CENTRAL MENTAL HEALT H AUTHORITY

## 4022. DR. M. VEERAPPA MOILY:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Central  Mental Authority  has  been  constituted,  if  so,  the number  of  Central Mental Health Establishments registered with it;
- (b) the details of the members of the aforesaid authority nominated by the Cen ral Government;
- (c) the number of halfway homes and sheltered accommodations that have been established by the Government after implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has conducted  a  social  audit  or  surprise inspections  of  Central Mental Health Hospitals, halfway homes, etc., if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether a social awareness campaign to abolish the stigma of mental illness and psychiatric drugs has been organised by the Government if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether an All -India Mental Healthcare Helpline number as mentioned under the National Mental Health Programme, has been started, if so, the details thereof along with the number of complaints received regarding the use of chains or sterlisations for treatment of mental health patients?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

(a)  to  (c):  The  Government  vide  Notification  in  the  Official  G azette  dated  04/12/2018  has constituted the Central Mental Health Authority under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. details of the members of the Central Mental Health Authority are annexed.

As per Section 122(2)(e) of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, the minimum standards of facilities  and  services  to  be  fulfilled  for  the  purpose  of  establishment  and  registrat Mental Health Establishments including halfway homes and sheltered accommodations shall specified by the regulations made by the C entral or State Authority, as the case may be.

Further, as per sub - section  (6)  of  Section  65  of  the  Mental  Healthcare  Act,  2017,  th Authority  shall,  within  a  period  of  eighteen  months  from  the  commencement  of  the  Act, notification, specify the minimum standards for different categories of mental health establishments.

As such none of the Central Mental Health Establishments have got registered with Authority and no halfway homes and sheltered accommodations established.

(d): Pursuant to the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the matter of Special Leave Petition (Civil) no. 39321/2012 in the matter of Reena Banerjee & Ors Vs. Governmen NCT  of  Delhi  &  Ors,  an  Inspection  of  the  three  Central  Mental  Health  In stitutions,  namely, National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and  Nuero  Sciences,  Bangalore,  Central  Institu Psychiatry,  Ranchi  and  Lokopriya  Gopinath  Bordoloi  Regional  Institute  of  Mental  Heal Tezpur, Assam was conducted by various Inspection teams comp rising of experts from AIIMS, Delhi,  Sardarjung  Hospital,  Delhi  and  other  experts  during  May,  2018  and  July,  2018  a report thereof was submitted to the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.

(e): The Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are an integral part of theNational Mental Health Programme (NMHP) to generate awareness among masses towards mental  illness. During  the  year  2018 - 19  an  amount  of  Rs.  5  Crore  has  been  allocated  for undertaking  various Information,  Education  and Communication  (IEC)  activities under  the NMHP. Additionally, at the District level, funds upto Rs. 4 lakh per District are provi various IEC activities such as awareness messages in local newspapers and radio, street p wall  paintings, awarenessgeneration  activities  in  the  community,  schools,  workplaces  with community involvement, etc. under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP).

(f): No  such  All -India  Mental  Healthcare  helpline  has  been  started  under  the  Nationa Mental Health Programm e. However, as per available information, Karnataka Government has set up a health helpline 'Aaryogya -vani' (toll free number: 104) with an integrated mental health helpline. The helpline witnessed about 70,000 enquiries about mental health in the year 20 7.

## Details of Members of the Central Mental Health Authority

|   1. | Under clause (a) of sub - section (1) of section 34: Additional Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health Welfare, Government of India                                                                                                                                              | and Family Chairperson -ex- officio;   |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|    2 | Under clause (b) of sub - section (1) of section 34: Joint Secretary (in charge of mental health), Ministry Family Welfare, , Government of India                                                                                                                                | of Health and member - ex- officio;    |
|    3 | Under clause (c) of sub - section (1) of section 34: Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYU SH, Government of India                                                                                                                                                                    | member - ex- officio;                  |
|    4 | Under clause (d) of sub - section (1) of section 34: Director General of Health Services, Government of India                                                                                                                                                                    | member - ex- officio;                  |
|    5 | Under clause (e) of sub - section (1) of section 34: Joint Secretary, Department of Disability Affairs, Ministry of Justice and Empowerment, Government of India                                                                                                                 | Social member - ex- officio;           |
|    6 | Under clause (f) of sub - ection (1) of section 34: Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Government of India                                                                                                                                                             | Development, member - ex- officio;     |
|    7 | Under clause (g) of sub - section (1) of section 34: (i) Director, National Institute of Mental Health Sciences, Bangalore; (ii) Director, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam; (iii) Director, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. | and Neuro of member - ex- officio;     |
|    8 | Under clause (h) of sub - section (1) of section 34: (i) Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government India; (ii) Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of (iii) Joint Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government India.                             | of India; of member - ex- officio;     |
|    9 | Under clause (i) of -sub section (1) of section 34: VACANT                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | -                                      |
|   10 | Under clause (j) of sub - ection (1) of section 34: Dr. Kasi Sekar, Professor and Registrar, NIMHANS, Bangalore                                                                                                                                                                  | member;                                |
|   11 | Under clause (k) of sub- section (1) of section 34: Dr. Vasudha Singh, Research Scholar, Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, Delhi                                                                                                                                                  | member;                                |
|   12 | Under clause (l) of -sub section (1) of section 34: Sh. Rathish Nair, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Patna                                                                                                                                                             | AIIMS, member;                         |
|   13 | Under clause (m) of sub - section (1) of section 34: (i) Sh. Akhileshwar Sahay; (ii) Sh. Kishore Kumar Mathur.                                                                                                                                                                   | members;                               |

|   14. | Under clause (n) of sub - section (1) of section                                                   | members;   |
|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|
|    15 | Under clause (o) of sub - section (1) of section 34: (i) Dr. Gorav Gupta, Mental Research Society, | members;   |
|    16 | Under clause (p) of sub - section (1) of section                                                   | members;   |