Central policy for rehablitation of mentally-cured

More than 700 people, who are residing in hospitals despite being completely cured, have no place to call home. As a result, they continue to languish at various institutes for the mentally ill across the country.

"I have listed cases of at least 786 patients from at least 12 hospitals, though I suspect the number is closer to 900," said Gaurav Bansal, the advocate who filed the petition in 2016. Bansal filed multiple RTIs to all state-run mental health institutes seeking data. "When I interviewed some of the patients, they all said that they were cured, though they were still staying back since they had no where to go," Bansal told DNA. "Even if they returned to their homes, the patients were concerned their history of mental health would stand in the way of them getting new jobs," he added.

According to the petition, some of the patients were admitted as early as 1979. Taking cognisance of this issue, the apex court directed the Centre to frame guidelines for rehabilitation for all the cured patients. They told Additional Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, who was representing the Centre, that the government "cannot allow a person to be kept in a mental asylum or a nursing home after he or she is fully cured of the ailment."

"They have to be brought back to civil society. You will have to frame a policy," the bench said. Seeking time, the court allowed the Centre eight weeks to file their replies.