Dear Colleagues, Please find attached presentation on Mental Heath Cabinet cleared Mental Health Care Bill on 13 June 2013 and It Introduced in the Rajya Sabha in the third week of August 2013.After it is passed in the Lok Sabha and assented by the President of India; it will replace the Mental Health Act of 1987. Decriminalisation of Suicide: All those who attempt suicide will be considered as mentally ill until and unless proven otherwise. Therefore, people who attempt suicide will be exempted from the present provisions of Section 309 of Indian Penal Code. WHO estimates that 1.8 lakh suicides occur in India every year but very few epidemiological studies have been carried out in the country This move will hopefully allow them to get the treatment they need. (Read: ‘I am broken inside’: Lessons from Jiah Khan’s death and suicide note) It provides for setting up Central and State Mental Health Authorities, which would act as administrative bodies, while the Mental Health Review Commission would be a quasi-judicial body to oversee the functioning of mental health facilities and protect the rights of Medical insurance to cover mental health treatment It also says that all insurance companies will have to make provisions for medical insurance for the treatment of mental illness akin to physical diseases. The proposed laws are seen by many as path-breaking and will also provide legal protection for those who suffer from mental illnesses and look to improve the current situation where they’re often at the mercy of care-givers. (Read: Depression – understanding it is half the battle won) With regards Dr. Prabhu Dayal, MD Assistant Professor (Psychiatry) Department of Psychiatry & NDDTC , AIIMS, New Delhi 110027 9312512707
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:54:35 +0000
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