ZCZC
JS-03
MENTAL-HEALTH-BILL
JS passes Mental Health Bill, 2018 with a provision of fine Tk 5-20 lakh
SANGSAD BHABAN, Oct 25, 2018 (BSS) – The Mental Health Bill, 2018 was
passed in the Jatiya Sangsad today with keeping a provision of imposing
monetary penalty of Taka5 lakh for operating mental hospital illegally
without taking any license and the penalty would be Taka 20 lakh in case of
finding same offense for one more time.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim moved the bill which was
unanimously passed by voice votes in the House here today with Speaker Dr
Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
Placing the bill, the health minister said the enactment of the proposed
law will repeal the century old ‘The Lunacy Act, 1912’ in order to protect
the rights of mentally ill people.
Under the draft act, the mental professionals will be accused of same
offense and would come under monetary penalty of Taka one lakh for engaging
himself at the mental hospital running without license, according to the
draft law.
As per the law, a Special Mental Illness Affairs Tribunal will be set up
in all the 64 districts to dispose off the cases related to mentally ill
people.
The minister described the Bangladesh Mental Health Bill as a time-
befitting one to protect the rights of mentally ill people.
“There are so many mentally ill people in our society, and we should
protect and ensure their rights. The proposed bill will help us do so,” he
said.
The health minister said that these days minors are more prone to mental
illness than adults. He added that they will form an authority after enacting
the law.
Mental health is a global problem and ranks fourth in the list of top ten
deadly diseases.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 450 million
people in the world suffer from neuropsychiatric disorders. In Bangladesh, 15
million people suffer from mental illnesses of various types.
According to the first national survey on mental health conducted by the
WHO in 2003-05, 16.1 per cent adults and 18.04 per cent children suffer from
mental illness. Women (19 per cent) are more vulnerable to mental illness
than men (12.9 per cent) in the country.
At least 10,000 people commit suicide especially due to mental health
problems every year in the country.
The draft act earlier was placed in the parliament and then sent to the
parliamentary standing committee on October 18 for providing report after
further scrutiny.
BSS/JS/OG/QC/1955 hrs