NEW DELHI: The L-G’s secretariat on Monday said that despite the Central Mental Health Care Act of 2017 mandating the constitution of a State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) for the welfare of patients suffering from mental illnesses, Delhi is yet to have such a body.
It said that under pressure from the Centre, the city government has finally moved a proposal to constitute Delhi SMHA after a delay of five years, only with ex-officio members.
The L-G slammed government apathy in this critical sphere, approving a proposal for the constitution of SMHA with directions to immediately initiate the process of appointing independent domain experts, patient caregiver representatives and NGOs.
While approving a proposal to this effect endorsed and approved by the health minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and CM Arvind Kejriwal, the L-G noted, “I have perused the proposal put forth by the health department, endorsed by the health minister and the CM regarding the constitution of State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), with ex-officio members only. It is underlined at the outset that, in light of the severity, prevalence and neglect hitherto, the Mental Health Care Act was enacted in 2017 to effectively address issues related to Mental Health, providing for an SMHA to be constituted in every State.”
“It has been brought on file that Sections 45-46 of the Mental Health Care Act 2017 mandates establishment of a State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) by every state government within nine months from the date the Act receives the President’s assent,” he added. “Further, as per the provisions of the Mental Health Care Act 2017, the SMHA holds a pivotal role in the registration, supervision, and development of quality care and services along with norms for Mental Health establishments within the State,” the L-G noted.
“Additionally, SMHA is responsible for registering clinical psychologists, mental health nurses, and psychiatric social workers, as mental health professionals in the State. SMHA is also mandated to publish the list of registered mental health professionals and conduct training programs to educate health professionals and other officials about the provisions and implementation of this Act,” he added.
