JOIN USEmpowered Karnataka mental health body to crack down on illegal institutions
The recently constituted Karnataka State Mental Health Authority (KSMHA) is developing a set of minimum standards for mental health facilities in the state, many of which fail to have adequate infrastructure and professionals.
The authority has the power to shut down de-addiction centres and mental health clinics that fail to comply with the standards, doing more harm than good to patients.
The standards are a part of the state’s draft Mental Healthcare Regulations, under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. KSMHA has formed a three-member panel, which is currently drafting the regulations. Once completed, the draft will be examined by a 15-member committee headed by Nimhan’s director Dr Pratima Murthy.
KSMHA Additional Member Secretary Dr Prashantha N R said it will send the final draft to the state legislature in a couple of months. After the legislature’s approval, the authority can enforce the rules.
“Currently, we are giving provisional registration to mental health establishments. They will get permanent registration only after submitting to us in writing that they have complied with the new standards. We will also conduct routine inspections to verify if they are functioning by the rules,” says Dr Prashantha.
Though similar standards existed as part of the ‘State Mental Health Rules, 2012’ under the Mental Health Act, 1987, the state mental health authority did not have the power to act against failing institutions. The powers rested with the deputy commissioner of the district.
With their multiple responsibilities, however, deputy commissioners acted on receiving complaints from the public and rarely identified illegal institutions proactively.
“Under the 1987 Act, deputy commissioners were the licensing and enforcing authorities,” pointed out Dr H Chandrashekar, member secretary of the previous state authority. “The State Mental Health Authority was only a policymaking body.”
He said only 250 institutions in Karnataka received licence under the deputy commissioners then, while registration was zero in districts like Koppal.
Dr Chandrashekar said the new KSMHA has to crack down on illegal mental health centres that have mushroomed in large numbers. He gave the example of a de-addiction centre in Bengaluru run by former addicts, which the deputy commissioner had shut down.
“The centre had no qualified personnel or even a nurse. It was a poultry farm previously, and had only three toilets for 130 residents,” he said. Although demand for de-addiction centres has been huge, people hesitate to visit state-run institutions. “This has given way to illegal mental health institutions,” Dr Chandrashekar said.
Nimhans medical superintendent Dr Muralidharan K stressed the need to regulate in-patient facilities, especially to ensure standards in care, sanitation, nutrition, and expertise. The rules will not subject individual professionals to regulations since the act does not prescribe standards, Dr Prashantha said.