"Since patients are looked after at home there is no burden on the State" states the first report on the Statistics of Mental Health in independent India issued by the Government in 1970.
Recent reporting in the media about the Mental Health Care Bill has been subjective through anecdotes and Government hand-outs. Examples of these in the international and Indian media reporting are given in these links - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p018vhb http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/troubled-beautiful-minds They reinforce negative stereotypes of mothers family caregivers and families in India who have children and family members with serious mental Illness. The Indian report appears in a publication headed by a scientist has gone to the extent of referring to Schizophrenia, a serious disabling brain illness as an ‘eccentricity’.
The first report on the Statistics of Mental Health in India issued in 1970 by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) which comes under the Ministry of Health and Family titled - ‘Mental Health in India’ by S K Sen Gupta and D R Chawla stated – “There were 38 Mental Hospitals in 1969 with 17,906 beds. There were 10 Child Guidance Clinics in these hospitals. Mental Illness is common among the poorest – 89 percent of the inpatients belonged to the income group of Re 1 to Rs. 100 per month. The incidence of Mental Illness is said to 2 per 1000 of population.’
So the economically poor were seeking medical help in Mental Hospitals after India’s independence from 1947-1969. The report has also stated that a small number of patients are incurable and have to stay in Mental Hospitals. Why the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) an organization which still exists, has stopped investigating and reporting about Mental health in India has not been mentioned, investigated or even analyzed in the BBC and Down to Earth reports is a mystery.
Today there are 38 Mental Hospitals in India, same as in 1969. ‘Since patients are looked after at home there is no burden on the State ‘– states Mental Health in India in 1970. BBC and Down to Earth reports fail to mention what are the costs of giving care to each patient living in these 38 Mental Hospitals run by the Government with its retinue of workers. Mothers /family caregivers struggle to nurture and assist amidst the increasing inflation with no medical insurance so that their loved ones with serious mental illness can resume their daily activities and go back to studying or working which is so essential to lead a life with some meaning and purpose.
Instead of including Mothers and Family Caregivers of individuals with serious mental illness in the Mental Health Care Bill they have been excluded by the Government and there is the Antilocution of Mothers and families in such media reports using the bogey of human rights. Missing is the fact that there is already a violation of human rights of mothers and family care givers of individuals with severe mental illness due to neglect by successive Governments to assist them in the care process of their ‘disabled children/family member' which is the State’s obligation as per the Human Rights Instruments in the UN conventions which India has ratified.
Both BBC and Down to Earth are silent on Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy, Naturopathy practitioners being vested with the power to run Mental Health Establishments for individuals with severe mental illness as per the definition of medical-officer-in-charge and medical practitioner given in the Mental health Care Bill. They have not questioned authorities as to why the bill is silent on the standard of care which is crucial with treatments for severe disabling mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression in these establishments. The promotions of such establishments which would be guzzling enormous amounts of taxpayers money as the bill veers sharply from the road to Mental Health Care to filling the coffers of such establishments has not even been addressed.
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