Maharashtra has not implemented the Mental Healthcare Act yet

The Regional Mental Hospital in Pune is the states largest with 2500 beds FILE PICDespite the Centre passing the new Mental Healthcare Act its implementation in Maharashtra remains a matter of ill health Therersquos little clarity on funding for mental health programmes from the central government and the state already has dismal fund allocation for them Worried mental health professionals are wondering if the new Act will ever be a realityThe Act is yet to be officially given to the state for implementation Without required infrastructure in place and lack of public awareness the Act might prove to be redundant The state allocates a measly Rs 100200 crore for mental health of which a major chunk is used for the salary upkeep and daytoday expenses of hospitals As per the new Act over Rs 1000 crore will be needed for the smooth functioning of mental hospitals say expertsMaharashtra has four regional mental hospitals mdash Pune is the largest with 2500 beds and approximately 1700 patients followed by Thane with 1800 beds and 1400 patients Nagpur with 800 beds and 500odd patients and Ratnagiri which has 365 beds and around 200 patientsMonths to a yearSpeaking to midday Dr VR Bhailume medial superintendent at the Regional Mental Hospital Ratnagiri said The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 has been introduced with a lot of amendments to the earlier Mental Health Act 1987 It is yet to be implemented in any of the statersquos mental hospitals and will take at least a few more months to a year Presently we are following the old ActDr Sadhana Tayade joint director health services Maharashtra confirmed the same and said We are in the process of implementing the new Act and it will take a few more months to be fully put into practicePithy allocationAccording to officials attached with statersquos Directorate of Health Services For 201617 the total budgetary provision for public health was around Rs 9540 crore funded by both state and central governments under the national health programme From this budget approximately Rs 5095 crore goes towards planned schemes while Rs 3851 crore is towards the nonplanned schemes completely budgeted by the state government Around Rs 594 crore goes towards district health programmes On an average the state budget allocation for mental health programmes is quite a small portion of Rs 100200 croreSpeaking to midday Sanjay Kumavat senior psychiatrist and former superintendent of Thane Regional Mental Hospital said The new Act is not clear about the budgetary provisions and allocation of funds from the central and state governments Also as per the new Act there needs to be affordable and accessible mental health outpatient and inpatient services in every district District mental health review boards also need to be set up in each district with required manpower as the Act states that a patient should be referred before the judiciary body within 24 hours if itrsquos a woman and three days for a manNot in the curriculumWe do not have rehabilitation homes communitybased rehabilitation centres vocational training daycare centres etc Moreover there is no clarity on introducing the new Act in the curriculum for psychiatrists psychologists paramedical staff etc said Dr Kumavat adding Interestingly the new Act allows alternative medicine for treating and examining mental health cases which wasnrsquot the case before Law enforcement agencies also need to be trained in handling such patients Instead of looking at them as a nuisance they should be given the required care and protectionDr Kumavat has a word of caution though If the government is keen to implement the Act and wants to see positive results then it should implement it in phases In the first phase the state should make provisions to provide all support staff and required infrastructure and later go for implementing the functioning norms or else such Acts will be of no use Without public awareness its fate will be like the Domestic Violence Act or Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act which is in force but seldom helps those in needRs 1kcr Amount needed for the smooth functioning of mental hospitalsRs 100 cr Amount the state government allocates for mental health