ACT NOW..

Call for Action

“Why should the Public know of what’s happening in IMH?”
“Let NGOs do good work and not question the Government...”
“NGOs cannot work with Government”
“It’s like Prison. Things like beating, chaining and locking up are bound to happen”.

These words were from the decision makers at the IMH Chennai. These words were uttered to cover up the appalling conditions prevailing in the IMH, Chennai, when 1.over 20 million Indians suffer from serious mental ailments and 50 million more from milder forms, 2. Mental illness is all set to take over from cardiovascular diseases as the number one health risk in India in the next two years.
What is happening at the Mental Health Institutes?

Violation of Constitutional Rights like:

Right to life with dignity, Right to life in a healthy atmosphere, and Right against violence and sexual abuse.

Case Studies:


1. A Joint Audit conducted by a team from TAP Chennai along with The Banyan in 6 Blocks of Ward 6 as recently as 3rd of October 2008 measured specifics like availability of basic amenities to evaluate living conditions, which revealed that:

a) there are just 2 Bath rooms and 18 toilets with 8 functional taps for approximately 277 people. Most toilets were not used because of lack of water facility. Except for a plate that is used for food, there are no mugs, buckets of any kind for basic ablutions. People used the same plate to wash themselves after attending to nature's call. b) Sanitation is poor. People reported toilets being cleaned once in a month by staff. No cleaning materials are available for people to clean it themselves either. c) A majority had bath outside with soap mixed water that was provided in the 6 functional taps available outside. Most people roamed naked after Bath, because there was just one set of clothes available and needed to wait for it to dry before clothing themselves.

2. There is lack of adoption of a basic humane approach, acknowledging fellow human beings as living people and not inanimate objects. We have heard and seen many instances of violence and abuse.
 Warders move around with lathis’ and have been seen to use it to intimidate.
 During a visit by The Banyan team, a woman, unclothed, was tied up in her own feces.
 In the visitor's committee meeting held on 31st October, a woman was found with pus oozing from her badly injured head. The visitor's committee ignored the condition completely until one of The Banyan representatives asked for her to be called back for a review. It was revealed that earlier that week she was masked with a cloth and mercilessly beaten on the head by many warders because she had tried to escape. The incident was brushed aside in the visitor's committee.
 There is a process termed as 'lock up' that occurs on a daily basis, where patients are locked up by evening irrespective of their prognosis – a person, well or unwell, is locked up seemingly as punishment for his/her 'crime of mental illness'.
 Custodial deaths. 4 people suddenly died overnight in IMH in November 2008. The reason stated first by the Director, IMH was dysentery which was later retracted to say that they died of cardiac arrest. Whether the source of failure was lack of early detection or lack of emergency care or drug related remains unclear.

Violation of the Mental Health Act, 1987

People continue to be committed under the Indian Lunacy Act of 1912. A few months back, close to 100 people from other parts of Tamil Nadu were committed to the institution under the Indian Lunacy act of 1912.
There is no 90 day review that allows for review of the “involuntary” commitment for discharge or extension of stay voluntarily, that is required under the Mental Health Act.
IMH suffers from inadequate staffing and poor staff orientation and training. At any given point of time, we have seen 50% of the posts at the Institute of Mental Health to be vacant. There seems to be no intention, leave alone move, to fill up these posts.

At the outset of the paradigm shift in the disability movement from the charity / institutional model to the human rights model, we find that much needs to be done in the area of psycho social disorder, where people with such disorders are treated as objects / criminals / or often violated of their basic human rights.

Therefore we propose to protest against the human rights violations faced by our fellow human beings in the mental health institutions beings across the country by way of:

Human Chain across the country with the following demands:
1. At least 3 NGO’s must be allowed to work in the IMH with an MOU.
2. A monitoring committee must be constituted with representation from right based organizations/groups such as HRLN, HRF, SPG etc, disability activists, activists from the women’s movement, parents and people with mental health issues. The powers and responsibilities must be clearly discussed and spelt out.
3. Must ensure the implementation of the 90 day trial for discharge for involuntary commitments into the IMH.
4. Give a definite deadline may be by 31st of Jan 2009 to ensure human rights of the inmates are not violated and their basic needs are met.
5. Bring about policy level changes in lines with the UNCRPD.

Sending faxes and email of the situation on hand in government run Mental Health Institutions across the country to the Health Minister Mr. Anbumani Ramdoss, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Chair Person UPA, Mr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of India.

Consultations to bring about policy level changes in lines with UNCRPD (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) across the country.