‘Conduct COVID test for all IMH inmates in a week’

A division bench comprising Justice M M Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha gave the direction while disposing of a plea moved by Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC).

“As far as mental health is concerned, patients require exclusive treatment and not on a par with others. The doctors, after testing everyone, have to decide on the care that needs to be provided within one week,” the bench said. TARATDAC State secretary S Namburajan submitted that it was necessary to test all 800 inmates of the institute as those with mental illness were the most vulnerable. “It is difficult to enforce standard recommendation like hand washing, covering mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing, and avoiding close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness,” he said.

Besides 25 patients who tested positive, the director, three PG students, two wardens and the cook of the institute were also found infected.

Shockingly, when an inmate was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital after the oxygen saturation level in his blood went down, the hospital did not admit and instead sent him back to the institute despite being aware that there was no facility such as centralised pressurised oxygen to treat severely affected inmates. Hence, he was again sent back to RGGGH on July 10, the plea said.

As there is no facility to treat COVID patients at the Institute of Mental Health, the State should see that they received equal treatment as provided to persons with physical illness as per Section 21(1) of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, the plea added.