Justice SR Bannurmath, the Karnataka High Court judge designated to monitor mental health care in the state, called for pro-active steps to ensure the protection of the basic human rights of the mentally ill in treatment centres as well as in the community. He advocated continuous and institutionalised monitoring of mental health care standards, while emphasising its role in fulfilling human rights and the community’s right to accessible service.
He was speaking at the inauguration of ‘Mental Health Week’ organised by NIMHANS, Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) and District Legal Services Committees in Bangalore on Wednesday. Atrocities against the mentally ill and the functioning of mental hospitals deserve attention, he said. HC judge Justice NK Patil stressed the need for spreading mental health services in rural areas. Increasing investment in the mental health service sector is essential, he said.
