PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Health secretary R Rajesh Kumar directed officials to establish district-level inspection teams in all districts without delay, in accordance with the Mental Health Care Act 2017. Each de-addiction centre will be thoroughly checked by these teams.
Chairing the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) held on Friday, Kumar directed that institutions failing to meet the prescribed standards or operating without registration will be identified, subjected to penalties and shut down immediately if required. He further instructed officials to expedite the monitoring, registration and evaluation process for all de-addiction centres in the State. Kumar also said that, following the directions of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, they will not permit any illegal or unregistered de-addiction centres to operate in the State. Strict action will be taken against all such centres that do not comply with the required standards. He stated that there would be no compromise on the quality of mental health and rehabilitation services.
Kumar stated that de-addiction centres operating without valid registration will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Such centres will be identified and legal action, including imposition of penalties, will be taken, leading to their immediate closure. Kumar directed that according to the Mental Health Care Act, only those institutions that meet minimum standards should be permitted to operate. He also urged the people of the State and all departments to actively participate in this campaign. Kumar stated that public awareness is the most potent remedy for de-addiction. All relevant departments were tasked with conducting wide-scale public awareness campaigns, from the village level to urban areas. Kumar directed officials to strengthen the SMHA, ensuring it is more transparent and accountable to guarantee reliable results in mental health services.
Additionally, the SMHA officials presented details of its current activities during the meeting, along with an advanced action plan aimed at ensuring high-quality mental health services. This plan will further expedite the successful implementation of the Act of 2017.
