The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has nominated 11 non-official members to the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA), giving fresh impetus to mental healthcare services in the state. This is a significant step towards protecting the rights of persons with mental illness in Punjab and a more accountable mental healthcare system in Punjab.
The strengthened SMHA will oversee the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and monitor, regulate, and improve mental health services in accordance with the Act. The move also assumes importance as the state expands its mental health and de-addiction services under its flagship, Yudh Nasehan Virudh.
The SMHA serves as the state’s apex statutory body for regulating mental health setup, prescribing
quality and service standards, registering specified mental health professionals and advising the government on mental health policy.
The official members of the Authority comprise senior officers from the health, medical education and social welfare departments, while the 11 non-official nominated members represent psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric social workers, nurses, persons with mental illness, caregivers, and NGOs.
This representation is intended to ensure that mental healthcare policy is informed not only by administration and medical expertise but also by the experiences of patients, their families, and those working closely with them.
Mental Health Review Boards, chaired by a District Judge or an eligible judicial officer, are also functioning at the district level. These Boards provide an independent mechanism for reviewing admissions and treatment decisions, addressing complaints and alleged rights violations, examining advance directives and nominated representatives, and inspecting mental health establishments wherever required.
The list of nominated SMHA members includes veteran professionals and highly reputable organisations who have done commendable work in the field of mental health in the state and have made mental health services accessible to the people.
As a nominated member, Dr Satyen Sharma, a Senior Psychiatrist, said, “The constitution of the State Mental Health Authority is an important step towards ensuring that mental healthcare in Punjab develops with both quality and accountability at its core. The Government is giving us a clear rights-based framework, and the Authority has to translate that into services that people can actually access, trust and benefit from. This requires ensuring attention to dignity, continuity of treatment, rehabilitation and the needs of families and caregivers.”
As a mental health professional hailing from Patiala, he added, “Mental health services have now started to reach people where they are. For a state like Punjab, strengthening services at the district and community level is particularly important so that people have access to treatment for not only physical but also mental ailments. The Authority has the opportunity to realise this objective.”
Dr Satish K. Thapar, a senior mental health professional and one of the nominated members, said that “Punjab has its own mental health challenges, and we need solutions that are responsive to the realities of our people and communities. The government’s recent efforts to strengthen mental health and de-addiction services, and now the strengthening of the State Mental Health Authority, are positive steps in that direction.”
“The Authority can help bring greater consistency and accountability to services across the state while ensuring that the rights and dignity of patients remain at the centre. There is considerable work ahead, and this is a good foundation on which Punjab can build a stronger mental healthcare system.”
The Authority will convene its first meeting with the nominated members in the coming week. The SMHA will provide a common regulatory framework for Punjab’s expanding mental healthcare ecosystem while ensuring that services remain patient-centric and rights-based. The initiative reinforces the Punjab government’s broader approach under Yudh Nasehan Virudh, which seeks to address substance abuse not merely through enforcement but through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and community participation.
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