DHAKA, July 18, 2018 (BSS) – The ‘Mental Health Act, 2018’ will bring
discipline in the mental health procedures in our country and ensure better
treatment for mental patients, said experts.
“This act will ensure better services to mental patients by brining
discipline in the mental health services,” Vice-Chairperson of a not-for-
profit advocacy, research and capacity-building organisation specialising in
neuro developmental disorders ‘Shuchona Foundation’ and former Vice
Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Professor
Dr Pran Gopal Dutta told BSS.
Prof Dutta said the provision of not establishing any clinic for mental
patients without license would help taking tougher action against illegal
authorities.
The comment came out after two days of final approval of the ‘Mental
Health Act, 2018′ draft by the Cabinet aimed at taking necessary steps for
overall welfare of the mental patients in the country and ensuring their
rights to property.
According to Associate Professor Dr MA Mohit Kamal National Institute of
Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), this act would bring positive
change in the arena of mental health service. No one can even dare to
instigate any mental patient to commit any crime as action would be taken if
anyone tries to do so, he said.
They said implementation of the act is necessary. If the government can
ensure the 100 per cent implementation of the act then it would drastically
change of the mental health services.
The law will replace the 105-year-old “The Lunacy Act, 1912”, he said
adding that the law suggested providing caring services to the patients of
mental health, protecting their rights including rights to wealth,
rehabilitation and overall welfare.
The law also proposed rigorous punishment for provoking any mental
patient to commit crime and stringent punishment for setting up and operating
mental hospital without license.
According to the law, the government would carry out all activities for
expansion, development, control and coordination of the services of the
mental patients.
The government would provide long-term treatment of the mental patients
and constitute a Mental Health Review Monitoring Committee to facilitate the
aggrieved persons to get remedy.
The law also has provisions for setting up and operating hospitals and
institutes under private sector for the treatment of the mental patients and
providing quality services in this field.
The draft law provides for a fine of Taka 3 lakh or one year rigorous
jail or both for a false certificate about the mental health of a person
given by any mental health service provider.
A guardian or manager would be found guilty to pay penalty of Taka 5 lakh
or suffer three years’ rigorous imprisonment for any negligence in treatment
or management of the patient or in preparing the list of property of a mental
patient or failure to obey any court order to protect the rights of a mental
patient.