Hi Amrit, Thanks for the meticulously crafted report (as usual)!
Just got a chance to read this now - have you passed this on to NHRC as well? The inputs in the beginning are valuable for future initiatives. Had a couple of queries - former rapporteur - is that Mr. Chaman Lal's inputs? Suggestions at end - it that yours or group's? (Just curious) Was amused to see the number of psychiatrists bit. We have been quoting the same figures for 20 years now - with the stray update from IPS / State-level Presidents. Not once have I come across what percentage of the apocryphal 3000-3500 psychiatrists are in Government service, and what percentage of that miniscule in rural areas / affiliated with DMHP. Looked at the MCI registry recently and found it's more like an alumni record of medical graduates. Found several schoolmates / relatives who have not been in India for 25-30 years+ and the renowned Dr. N Rangabashyam who passed away almost a year back! Similarly the number of mental hospital beds (Table 30.3) in the MOSPI Statistical Year Book has remained frozen in time since 2004 - they just say no information is available from 2005 onwards. And don't get me started on the health informatics data division. I am amazed at this opaque, brazenly indifferent approach to mental health in India wrt tangible, useful FACTS that you can pin down and monitor. - Like how many of the DMHP districts have 'renewed' on State Government funding without the first term's NMHP kickstarter funding. - Like how many NRHM GPs have been 'trained' via DMHP and are practically fill-ins for the missing psychiatrists. (And why can't those GPs be fast-tracked through a psychiatry degree as an incentive) - Like in how many mental hospitals / rehab centres has NALSA's legal aid provision services been used, with what results. - Like how many licenses have been processed - applied/ rejected/ pending/ issued for psychiatric nursing homes / rehab centres etc and how long is the turnaround time for license renewal / approval. And what is the annual meeting-attendance track record of members of the SMHA / Visitors boards. Which is why, for all my run-ins with the NHRC, I am grateful that *somebody* is visiting the mental hospitals across the country and reporting on them. Chennai's IMH ignored the quantitative form of the NHRC's second review report 'Mental Health Care and Human Rights' and instead waffled away in the qualitative form. I'm sure there will be others who'll be similarly selective or indifferent and that the reports will be largely snapshot-type instead of sustained. Still. End of the day, what else do we have? Some stand alone research studies, media reports, our personal uncaptured scattered learnings and the occasional Mental Health answer provided in Parliament. What's frightening is the growing suspicion that nothing is being withheld from the public domain and this is all the information there is. Frustrating. Depressing. Pathetic. Vaishnavi Jayakumar http://about.me/vjayakumar On Thu, Jun 5, 2014 at 11:36 AM, Amrit Bakhshy <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Vaishnavi, > > I sent the report to you this morning. A copy is attached for ready > reference. > > There were local participants in the Conference who had no formal > invitation. > > Regarding Mental Health Policy, the draft recommendations were ready some > time back and as I understand, 3 members were authorized to finalize the > same. The final recommendations from the 3 members are awaited. > > Amrit > > > On 5 June 2014 09:57, Vaishnavi Jayakumar <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> *Nirmala* - you mean to say even after meeting with Ms. Bhakhry you >> weren't invited? I have gate-crashed several meetings (including the NHRC >> one in Chennai) - and I think that's perfectly ok. If we care enough to >> want to be present and partake of discussions and contribute, we're >> qualified. It's as simple as that. >> >> Not like there's any process that Government is following in >> opportunities for diverse stakeholder participation! So till a fair process >> does come into place, gate-crash away! Or if you're in another city, invite >> yourself in - Ms. Bhakry's communication details were made available for >> that reason. >> >> It's impressive that the State Human Rights Cell is being active in areas >> like this. When there was a gross violation some time back in Chennai, the >> SHRC said that non-governmental matters were outside its purview and >> refused to even register the case! >> >> *Amrit* / others from the forum who did participate in this conference >> we're still waiting eagerly for your round-up. >> >> *Policy group members - * >> >> What is the status with the Mental Health Policy? Has the new Health >> Secretary / new Health Minister been in touch with you? Or vice versa? Do >> let us know. >> >> >>> *ACMI together with AMEND and ROSHNI self help groups prepared for >>> this Meeting even though we were not invited. * >> >> >> http://about.me/vjayakumar >> >> >> On Mon, Jun 2, 2014 at 9:28 AM, Nirmala Srinivasan <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> Dear all >>> I am not yet used to tweets. Hence I request you to circulate this mail >>> to all. >>> *"I have been campaigning against Closed wards and Cells for last 4 >>> years. See attachment of NHRC's performance and Govt response to it perhaps >>> till date. **On 30th May (2014), the national human rights commission >>> held a seminar at Delhi on Human Rights and Mental Health. ACMI together >>> with AMEND and ROSHNI self help groups prepared for this Meeting even >>> though we were not invited. What we did was a live discussion between >>> AMEND families and KSHRC( Karnataka State Human Rights Commission) to >>> identify core issues in violation of rights of mental patients to >>> treatment, to life and living. The points that came up were lack of >>> emergency ambulance support, lack of family based outreach services; CLOSED >>> Ward and Cells; and plight of orphaned persons with mental illness(OPMI). >>> Secretary , KSHRC was briefed also about the NHRC reports on Closed wards. >>> She gareed to convey to NHRC during the course of her seminar presentaion. * >>> *These notes were handed over by ACMI to ROSHNI at Delhi. Our Program >>> offcer and ROSHNI secretary , Rajeshwari visited NHRC on 29th itself; met >>> Jt Director Dr.Savita Bhakry and handed over a joint petition of ACMI and >>> ROSHNI. * >>> >>> *Just now I got a feedback from our Delhi families that the panelists >>> including Director Nimahns and others addressed all these issues. We need >>> broad based Survey teams that includes Civil Society reps, family NGOs who >>> can speak up without fear. I say this because AMEND members were very >>> scared of speaking out to Human rights commission in KA". * >>> *NIRMALA SRINIVASAN* >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Nirmala Srinivasan (Ashoka Fellow) >>> Director, Action for Mental Illness (www.acmiindia.org.in) >>> Bangalore -India >>> +91 9886031659 >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sun, Jun 1, 2014 at 5:47 PM, The DISpatch <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Till others share there experiences / thoughts, this is Amba Salelkar >>>> of Inclusive Planet reporting in. (Her live tweets have been storified) >>>> http://storify.com/MumbaiCentral/mental-health-and-human-rights-a-conference-organi >>>> >>>> As pdf is not accessible - a search on Twitter with #NHRCMH will yield >>>> the same results. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> - >>> >>> -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. 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