*25-Jan-2012* *KOCHI *: Experts of psychiatry have called for a better and constructive government initiative in mental health care. At a workshop organized by the Indian Psychiatric Society in Kochi on Tuesday, psychiatrists from across the state asked the government to provide treatment and rehabilitation facilities.
According to statistics, 10% of Kerala's population suffers from some kind of mental illness, but the state and families do not have facilities to provide the necessary care . About 120 centres are functioning in the state, but most of them do not have a legally valid licence and qualified personnel. And these agencies do not envisage treatment as their primary responsibility, but since they provide a shelter for patients, the government should take steps to better their services, experts said. NGOs are doing a good job of rehabilitating patients and giving them proper care, but the state should ensure that human rights are not violated in these centres, said Dr T Murali, vice-president of the World Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation. There should be effective campaigns to educate the public regarding mental health, said Dr M Chandrasekharan Nair, chief psychiatrist of Nair's Hospital, Kochi. V M Sudheeran, who inaugurated the conference at IMA House, suggested that the government should constitute an assembly committee to study the problems in this sector, and also institute a pension for patients. The functioning of the mental health authority should be revamped, he said. Dr Mohan Isaac, professor of psychiatry in the University of Western Australia, spoke on rehabilitation based on recovery and human rights. Dr S Jinan, state president of the Indian Psychiatric Society, presided over the meeting. Dr K Sudarshan and Advocate Litto Palathingal were also present. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-25/kochi/30662725_1_mental-health-indian-psychiatric-society-human-rights -- 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
