JOIN USMental healthcare in Karnataka gets a shot in the arm
Mental healthcare in Karnataka got a shot in the arm with the state Cabinet approving the State Mental Healthcare Rules on Thursday.
Mental health establishments now require a licence to operate from the Karnataka StateMental Health Authority (KSMHA) and will have to conform to minimum standards, and also maintain a doctor-patients ratio. All mental health professionals also need to register with KSMHA now.
A website will also be created to inform people of authentic healthcare facilities that offer care.
Head of the Department of Psychiatry in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Dr Chandrashekhar H, who is the medical advisor of KSMHA told DH, "By way of registration over the next six months, we will be recognising those establishments that are good and professionally sound to provide care. As a next step, whoever doesn't have licences will be closed down for being unauthorised. We have already announced once in newspapers one month ago, another announcement will be given next month."
So far only 45 establishments have registered with KSMHA, 44 private and one government (Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences). As many as 150 professionals (psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, clinical psychologists) have also registered.
Unauthorised professionals will be stopped from providing treatment. Under the Act, only psychologists with an MPhil can be allowed to register with KSMHA. Law enforcement authorities like the police, members of the judiciary, doctors, and social welfare department personnel will be given training on implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, he added.
Headed by a district judge, five Mental Health Review Boards will be set up, one each in Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Dharwad, and Kalaburagi, which will be tasked with protection of human rights of patients admitted to mental health establishments.
"We'll have a pool of officers, for example, 25 for Bengaluru. Three-member teams each will be sent to many institutions parallely and inspection will be done. The mandate is for inspections to be done once in three years. We will go through all admissions, treatments given, all patient records, building records, KPME registration, fire department NOC, number of toilets, number of discharges etc. The audit will be standardised and difficult for anyone to fake records," Chandrashekhar added.
A committee under the chairmanship of NIMHANS Director Dr Prathima Murthy will also be constituted for drafting of guidelines for KSMHA. "Now the regulations will have to be made. This should enable greater access to treatment and ensure better standards of care. However, we must also develop and strengthen networks of care," Murthy told DH.