NHRC sends notice to WB govt over mental hospital case

New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) The National Human RightsCommission has issued a notice to the West Bengal governmentover reports of an NGO finding some mentally-challenged menand women patients lying naked on dirty floor at a governmenthospital on Independence Day. "They had not bathed or shaved for months, had visiblesigns of various diseases. The toilets were so filthy thatnobody could use them. The bed sheets were full of bugs," theNHRC today said. In a statement, the Commission said it has taken a suomotu cognisance of a media report that "a team of NGO Anjalivisited Berhampore Mental Hospital on Independence Day andfound naked men and women, all mentally-ill patients, lying ondirty floors in a very bad condition." The NHRC has issued the notice to the Chief Secretary ofthe West Bengal government and sought for a detailed report onthe state of affairs in that hospital along with the status ofother mental hospitals run by the state government. It has also asked its Special Rapporteur, East Zone,Domodar Sarangi, to assess the situation on the ground andsubmit a report to the Commission. The state government aswell as the Special Rapporteur have been given eight weeks torespond, it said. Reportedly, the Hospital Superintendent of BerhamporeMental Hospital refused to make any comments on it whenapproached by the NGO team. The Chief Medical Officer alsodenied the calls made by the NGO, the NHRC statement said. The Commission, reiterating its commitment towards thepromotion and protection of rights of mentally ill persons,has observed that the contents of the news report are"distressing". According to the media report, carried on August 17, thereare about 430 patients, including men and women, staying atthe Berhampore Mental Hospital at present. "There is no facility of laundry, no barber and bathroomsare in such a bad condition that the patients often fall onthe ground and hurt themselves," it said. PTI KND GVS ZMNGVS