Annual Report - National Human Rights Commission

Right to Health
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Government Mental Hospital, Indore, Amritsar and Tezpur.
7.44 The Commission has enlarged the scope of its monitoring of the Quality Assurance in
Mental Health (NIMHANS Report) on the state of Government Mental Hospitals, reference to
which was made in the last annual report. The Special Rapporteur visited the Government Mental
Hospital, Indore on 03-08-2004, Institute of Mental Health, Amritsar on 08-02-2005 and LGB
Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur on 31 March and 1 st April, 2005 for this purpose.
The Commission is pleased to note a good deal of improvement in all aspects of functioning
of these Institutions.
Mental Hospital, Indore
7.45 The NIMHANS report on Mental Hospital, Indore makes a very dismal reading
with a specific mention of neglect of the human rights of patients. All the wards were then
(1998) found as Closed Wards and admissions were 100% involuntary. Infrastructure was
utterly inadequate, and the standard of sanitation and hygiene was pathetic. The toilets in
the female wards had no doors. Less than 50% of the total number of patients were provided
cots but with no mattresses and blankets. Food served at the fixed scale of Rs. 14 per day
was insufficient in quantity and poor in quality. Diagnostic and therapeutic facilities were
primitive. A lot of improvement has been effected as a result of the enforcement of
Commission’s directions issued through its report— ‘Quality Assurance in Mental Health
(NIMHANS REPORT)’ and the active interest taken by the Madhya Pradesh Human
Rights Commission. The state of buildings has improved with repairs of wards and
construction of a new male ward. All Cell structures have been closed and closed wards
have been converted into open wards. Round the clock water supply has been ensured
and additional toilets and bathrooms have been constructed. The percentage of voluntary
admissions which was nil when the NIMHANS study was made rose to 10.8 % in 2002
and is nearly 50% now. The average duration of stay of voluntary patients is less than 60
days. Beds with mattresses have been provided in sufficient numbers. The diet scale has
been increased from Rs. 14 to Rs. 26 per patient per day to ensure a scale of food of
required caloric value. Mortality rate which was very high until 2001 has come down
considerably. However, not much could be done about the long stay patients who are still
languishing in large numbers, most of them abandoned by their families. Escape of patients
remains a major problem. While the hospital has 5 qualified psychiatrists, it has no post of
clinical psychologist or psychiatric social worker. Although the level of compliance with
the recommendations of the NIMHANS report can be broadly considered satisfactory
with visible improvement seen in hospital management and patients-care, the Institution
still lacks in infrastructure and modern diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. Occupational
therapy is yet to be evolved in the hospital in real sense. While some efforts have been
made to identify and associate a credible NGO in the activities of the hospital, there is a
definite need and good scope for greater involvement of NGO sector in working for the
rehabilitation of long stay patients.
National Human Rights Commission Annual Report - 2004-2005
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