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Thursday 27 June 2013

Centre considering mental hospital upgradation: Maharashtra govt : Nagpur

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court that a proposal for upgradation of regional mental hospital here was under active consideration of the central government. A division bench comprising justice BhushanDharmadhikari and justice AtulChandurkar disposed of a petition filed by social worker UmeshChoube through his counsel SrikantKhandalkar.

The petitioner had approached the judiciary alleging government failure to upgrade the mental hospital on Koradi Road. He contended that the city-based hospital presents a sorry picture, and lacks vital equipment and staff due to government lethargy. He added that all this was severely affecting patients, who come even from neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He also demanded a high-level enquiry into the state's failure to send a proposal for its upgradation.

At the hearing, Khandalkar stressed immediate steps were needed for implementation of National Mental Health Programme in all government mental colleges in state, and also sought directives to Government Medical College and Mayo Hospital apart from Mental Hospital to take immediate steps for establishing Center of Excellence in the field of mental health. He also insisted on instructions to the state to implement National Mental Health Programme to save Rs 30 crore grant from the centre, which is in danger of lapsing. He also demanded a high-level enquiry for state's failure to send proposal for upgradation.

However, government pleader Nitin Sambre said that the State Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had already forwarded a proposal to the centre, where it was under the active consideration of authorities.

Earlier, the central government informed the court that they had upgraded two hospitals in the western region, at Ahmedabad and Pune, at a cost of Rs 30 crore. But when the judges questioned why the Nagpur hospital was not considered, assistant solicitor general SK Mishra replied that the state had failed to submit an upgradation proposal in this regard.


Source : TOI , 27th June 2013

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