-Outlook
Aiming to humanise the treatment of mental illnesses, government has drafted a new Bill which proposes to give patients the right to choose in advance the kind of treatment and recommends use of electric shocks in rare cases.
In the new draft law for mental sickness, government also proposes to ban electro convulsive treatment (ECT) (electric shocks) for minors as also its use directly in adults and recommended its use only in rare cases and that too under general anaesthesia.
It also proposes grant of medical insurance for patients who till now are not covered for insurance.
The new ‘Mental Healthcare Bill – 2012’ prepared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and cleared by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is ready to be sent to the Cabinet before being introduced in Parliament.
Incidentally, the proposals come ahead of Mental Health Day on October 10.
Once approved, the Bill for the first time, provides for persons with mental illness the right to know the criteria for admission to a facility, to seek a review of the admission being administered and to know the treatment planned by the doctor.
The Bill also seeks to broaden the definition of mental
illness and recommends decriminalisation of suicide and proposes to ban tonsuring (of heads) of the sick under treatment in mental homes.
The Bill also gives everyone the right to write "Advanced Directives" whereby people can list their choices regarding treatment beforehand.
The law for the first time makes a distinction between mental illness and disability and says that a mentally ill person cannot be assumed to be incapacitated to make his or her decisions. If a person wants admission for treatment, voluntary treatment will be the norm, it says.
In cases where a person is temporarily incapacitated due to high degree or illness, a person nominated by him will exercise the right to make a choice on his behalf.