Mental Healthcare Bill taken up by Lok Sabha
New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) The Lok Sabha on Friday took up the Mental Healthcare Bill, 2016, which makes provision to protect, promote and fulfil the rights of persons during delivery of mental healthcare and services.
The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016.
“This bill is progressive in nature and it is patient-centric. It empowers the patient for mental healthcare. And the purpose is to give treatment at community level,” Health Minister J.P. Nadda said while moving the bill in the lower house.
“The society should give an environment in which we should see maximum mental healthcare is community based,” he added.
Nadda said that the unique feature was that the bill “has got the provision of advance directive”.
“That means, a person who is alright but there are chances that in future he may get mental illness, he can give directive today… if mental illness happens, what kind of treatment should be given,” Nadda said.
“Who should take care of him, whether he would like to go for institution-based service or community-based service…” he added, defining a person’s right to decide in the event of a future mental illness.
