Now Reading: Kerala High Court flags poor conditions at Kuthiravattom centre
-
01
Kerala High Court flags poor conditions at Kuthiravattom centre
The Kerala High Court has sought a report from the Health and Social Welfare department secretaries on measures to improve conditions at the Government Mental Health Centre in Kuthiravattom, Kozhikode. The court…
The Kerala High Court has sought a report from the Health and Social Welfare department secretaries on measures to improve conditions at the Government Mental Health Centre in Kuthiravattom, Kozhikode. The court called for infrastructure upgrades, filling staff vacancies and completing Aadhaar enrolment for patients.
During an inspection on Sunday, Justices Devan Ramachandran and Basant Balaji examined the centre’s isolation wards, cells and equipment with the amicus curiae and officials from the Health department, police and district administration. The court found old structures, poor lighting and a shortage of security personnel, cooks and cleaning staff. It also said the centre needed a compound wall.
The court said conditions were similar at government mental health centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur. At Thrissur, it observed that the accommodation could harm patients rather than help them. The secretaries’ report will set out the steps proposed to address the deficiencies.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The inspection places responsibility across departments rather than treating hospital upkeep as a matter for medical staff alone. Infrastructure, recruitment, security and patient documentation require separate administrative action, so progress will depend on coordination between the Health department, Social Welfare department, police and district administration. The court’s broader approach also matters because mental healthcare facilities must operate within the rights framework under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. The most useful signal to watch is whether the secretaries’ report assigns clear responsibilities, funding and timelines for each deficiency.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
