Diethono Nakhro
First of all, I convey my appreciation to the Dimapur District Legal Services Authority, Prodigals’ Home and Women Helpline for coming together to organise this much needed workshop.
Although mental health is a very important component of overall health, there is very little recognition and awareness of mental illness and mental health disorders in our society. Stigma and lack of understanding are also major barriers to people with mental illness seeking help.
And, hand in hand with this lack of awareness and understanding of mental health disorders and disabilities, we also have very poor awareness of the Mental Healthcare Act and the various provisions under it. This means that a very vulnerable section of our society continues to live without any social protection – open to all kinds of abuse, discrimination and indignity. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to create more awareness of the laws that are covered by the Mental Healthcare Act.
The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 aims to ensure that persons with mental illnesses and mental health disorders have a right to live life with dignity by not being discriminated against or harassed. This act empowers accessibility to mental health services for all. This right is meant to ensure that services are accessible, affordable, and of good quality. It also recognises the right to community living; right to live with dignity; protection from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, etc. All these and many other provisions will be taken up by the resource persons later.
The Act is meant to change the fundamental approach on mental health issues from a criminal-centric one to a sensible patient-centric healthcare. However, as we know, we can have the best laws, but if there is no implementation on the ground then it does no good to anyone.
Mental health disorders are also among the specified disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
While awareness and understanding of all the disabilities in general are sadly still quite poor in our society, it is more so with mental illness and psycho-social disabilities. Compared to other disabilities, people with psycho-social disabilities face much more discrimination and neglect. There are a lot of negative attitudes and misconceptions - and so there is a huge need to create more knowledge and awareness on this.
People living with mental illnesses and mental health disorders are deserving of care, understanding, compassion, and pathways to hope, healing, recovery, and fulfilment.
Once again, I thank the organisers of this workshop. I wish the programme all the very best.
Speech of Diethono Nakhro, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of Nagaland during the workshop on Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 organised by Dimapur District Legal Services Authority, Prodigals’ Home and Women Helpline at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur on February 26. The speech was read out by Ashe Kiba, Assistant Programme Coordinator.
