The Pune Psychiatrists' Association (PPA) has passed a resolution pleading with hospitals and other health-care establishments not to deny admission to mentally ill patients.
The resolution was passed at a PPA meeting held on Sunday. It stated that denial of admission to mentally ill patients in hospitals amounts to "discrimination" and "violation of human rights". It also stated that such denial "stigmatises psychiatric illness".
The resolution was passed after the city-based Jehangir Hospital decided to stop admitting psychiatric patients. DNA had reported the issue in its July 17 edition (Jehangir Hospital closes doors on psychiatric patients).
A psychiatric patient, Ishawari Wakte (22) of Shrirampur in Ahmednagar district, was refused admission in Jehangir Hospital. The hospital management had defended its move, claiming it lacked infrastructure and equipment to take care of psychiatric patients.
The PPA intends to circulate the resolution among city hospitals, with its president, Dr Shirish Ratnaparkhi, telling DNA, "Such discrimination is a gross violation of human rights. Hospitals should have proper infrastructure and other facilities to treat such patients."
On the indifferent behaviour of Jehangir Hospital, Dr Neville Misquitta, whose patient was not allowed admission, told DNA that the reasons the hospital had cited were vague.
"Psychiatric patients require less equipment and more counselling. Probably the small profit margin earned through treatment of psychiatric patients refrains the hospitals from taking such cases," he said.
Comments