The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought action taken report (ATR) from the Chief Secretaries of all the States and Union Territories on mental health care across the country. The NHRC passed the order on a petition filed by human rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy.

The plea pointed out the rise in suicide rate in India with the outbreak of corona pandemic and failure of the government to take care of the mental health due to lack of medical facilities. As per the WHO report, about 50 million Indians are suffering from depression covering all States and Union Territories, the lawyer contended.

He alleged that failure of government recognising the persons of unsound mind, mentally ill and unhealthy and in taking care of the same during coronavirus or post COVID-19 situation amounts to the denial of human rights of these vulnerable people. Citing various examples of suicides and crime related to mental health, Tripathy contended that State Governments and Union Territories have failed to implement the provisions of the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 and United Nation’s Convention on health issues.

He said that mental health issues in India receive scant attention compared with the disease, even though it, too, wreaks carnage, devastates families, harms and kills. The NHRC while acting on earlier petitions filed by Tripathy sought replies from all the States and Union territories over the plight of Transgenders and sex workers. (ANI)