*Feb 8, 2011* *CHANDIGARH*: In response to directions from Punjab and Haryana High Court, a detailed report on the status of shelter home for mentally ill persons was submitted before the court on Monday by a local commissioner. In his report, advocate Gaganpreet Singh, who was appointed as local commissioner by the HC, informed that during his visit in Ashreya in Sector 47 on December 22 last year, it was found that there is no separate building for the mentally ill persons and they are allowed to stay in two rooms in the designated building for 7 hours during day time.
The report informed that the premises in Sector 47 have indeed both, a halfway home for mentally ill and residential facility for mentally retarded. The place for mentally ill persons is on the backside and there is no compact area to separate the two. The report further informed that there is a full-fledge building for mentally retarded persons, including residential facility, while for mentally ill there are only two rooms and one kitchen. The halfway home for mentally ill has a capacity for 20 patients but presently there are only eight persons (all adults) referred by the psychology department of GMCH. These patients stay at home from 9 am to 4 pm and during their stay they indulge in yoga, exercise, cooking, etc. They are also being paid for the work done by them. Pick and drop transportation facility is available for them at the rate of Rs 300 per month. It was also mentioned in the report that no foundation stone of halfway home was found in the premises during his visit while there was a proper foundation stone for the Ashreya, a home for mentally retarded. The report was submitted before the division bench of the HC headed by acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi during the resumed hearing of an ongoing petition filed by some of the parents and guardians of mentally ill patients. The petitioners had prayed for direction restraining UT administration from changing the original purpose and functional intent of the halfway home at in Sector 47D for a residential facility for mentally ill persons and maintaining it as such a facility for such persons under the Mental Health Act, 1987. The petitioners also informed that UT had also filed an affidavit in the SC informing about setting up of a residential facility for the mentally ill persons in the city. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Report-on-halfway-home-submitted/articleshow/7448269.cms -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
