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Cabinet to discuss Mental Health bill

Years after it was first drafted, the proposed bill to protect the rights of persons with mental illness, the Mental Healthcare Bill, is likely to see the light of the day.

Years after it was first drafted, the proposed bill to protect the rights of persons with mental illness, the Mental Healthcare Bill, is likely to see the light of the day. Having got clearance from the law ministry, the proposed bill will soon come to the Cabinet and likely to be introduced in the upcoming Winter Session.

Sources in the Union health ministry revealed that the draft bill will soon come in the Cabinet for final clearance before it is introduced in the Parliament session. “If all goes well, the proposed bill will be introduced in the Winter Session,” sources said.

Proposing to ban the Pre-Independence direct electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) — generally known as electroshock — used to treat mentally ill patients, the draft proposes empowering people suffering from mental illness and to protect their rights. With provisions of banning tonsuring of patients, the proposed bill once cleared will allow the adults to make an advance directive on how they would want to be treated in case they suffer from mental illness.

The new bill also seeks to decriminalise suicide and make access to affordable mental health care a right for all. “The newly proposed bill is an effort to bring Indian law in alliance with the UN Convention for Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The proposed bill will give more protection to mentally challeneged people and will be pathbreaking for the mental healthcare in India,” said Dr Nimesh G. Desai, Director, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS).

As per the proposed bill, people suffering from mental health attempting suicide would be treated as mentally ill and therefore the act will be exempted from the provisions of Section 309 of IPC.

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