Kerala High Court flags poor conditions at Kuthiravattom mental health centre

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Expressing concern at the state of affairs at the Government Mental Health Centre at Kuthiravattom in Kozhikode, the Kerala High Court has sought a report from the secretaries concerned of the Health department and the Social Welfare department on the steps being taken to improve infrastructure for patients at the hospital.

Steps must also be taken to fill staff vacancies and complete Aadhaar enrolment of patients, the court said, adding that the conditions at the health centre were similar to those at the centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. Expressing angst at the condition of the isolation wards and cells, the court said many of the structures were very old, the premises were poorly lit, and a compound wall was needed. There was also a shortage of security personnel, cooks, and cleaning staff.

Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji of the Kerala High Court inspected the Government Mental Health Centre, Kuthiravattom, Kozhikode, on Sunday, following similar inspections at the two other government mental health centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. They were accompanied by amicus curiae Ramkumar Nambiar.

The team also checked the condition of the cells and the equipment at the hospital. They were accompanied by officials from the Health department, police, and the district administration.

At the centre in Thrissur, the judges said the accommodation facilities there were more likely to break the minds of patients than heal them. The court had earlier this month said that these centres were not isolated facilities but part of the general health ecosystem, and that irrespective of whether a person suffered from physical ailments or mental health issues, the law guaranteed them equal rights.

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