CHANDIGARH, September 22: Following the recent induction of 11 non-official members to give fresh impetus to psychiatric care, the newly constituted State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) convened a review meeting on Tuesday in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh.
Presiding over the meeting alongside Principal Secretary-cum-Chairperson (Ex-officio) Kumar Rahul and Director Health Services Punjab-cum-Member (Ex-officio) Dr Hitinder Kaur, the Health Minister formally welcomed the newly appointed ex-officio and non-official members, several of whom attended the proceedings virtually.
The broad-based panel brings together seasoned psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers, mental health nurses, NGO representatives, as well as nominated caregivers and individuals with lived experience of mental illness, ensuring that ground realities directly guide state policy.
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Addressing the authority, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh reiterated that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government is steadfast in its resolve to uphold the core mandate of the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017 by ensuring that high-quality, humane, and stigma-free psychiatric services are easily accessible to every citizen without discrimination.
He underscored that mental healthcare cannot operate in isolation, and the revitalised authority will serve as the crucial statutory engine to monitor service delivery, enforce strict quality standards, and safeguard patient rights across government hospitals, medical colleges, and private clinics alike.
Emphasising that patient dignity remains non-negotiable, Dr Balbir Singh issued stern instructions prohibiting unlawful and dehumanising practices in all mental health establishments across Punjab. He cautioned that archaic methods such as chaining, solitary seclusion, and administering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) without anaesthesia and muscle relaxants are strictly prohibited under the law and will invite stringent penal consequences.
The Authority also deliberated on the notification and rollout of the Punjab State Mental Health Authority Rules and the Punjab Mental Healthcare (Rights of Persons with Mental Illness) Rules, for which prior approval has already been granted by the Central Government. It was firmly resolved that all 83 private psychiatric nursing homes and clinics operating across the state, must mandatorily secure registration under the SMHA in strict conformity with Section 65 of the Act. The meeting also considered the provisional registration of six shortlisted NGO-run Mental Health Establishments inspected to operate community Group Homes in compliance with the directives of the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Meanwhile, the meeting was attended by senior ex-officio representatives from Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, Social Welfare, and Government Medical Colleges, along with the newly nominated non-official members.