Mental Healthcare Bill

The new Mental Healthcare Bill that decriminalises attempt to suicide and bans use of electric shock therapy for treating children with mental illness was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 27.

Salient Features of the Bill

Rights of persons with mental illness

• Every person shall have the right to access mental health care and treatment from services run or funded by the government.
• The right to access mental health care includes affordable, good quality of and easy access to services.
• Persons with mental illness also have the right to equality of treatment, protection from inhuman and degrading treatment, free ....