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The Kerala Government on Tuesday (November 10) informed the High Court about its decision to rename Mental Health Centres as 'Regional Institute for Happiness and Wellness'.

The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji today recorded the submission of Advocate General K. Jaju Babu:

"Learned Advocate General submitted that after hearing all stakeholders, the government has finalised the name 'Regional Institute for Happiness and Wellness'. He added that a Government Order in this regard is being issued, if it is not done already. List next Tuesday for the Government Order to be placed before us."

Earlier, the State had decided to rename the Centres as 'Happiness and Wellness Centres'. However, Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) objected to the name and had approached the Court for an opportunity to raise the same before the competent authorities. The Court had then permitted the IMA and IPS do the same.

The development comes in a suo motu public interest litigation initiated in 1996 following the Apex Court's direction in Sheela Barse v. Union of India.

Earlier, the Bench had personally visited the three Centres at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode, and had ordered the State government to take urgent steps to improve the conditions therein. It had highlighted four aspects that required immediate attention - construction of boundary wall, appointment of necessary personnel, uninterrupted supply of medicines and availability for 1 or 2 vehicles inside the premises for transportation of food, etc.

Today, it enquired about the status of the same. It orally remarked that its primary focus is the boundary wall and if that is not done, contempt action would be taken. It orally added that the institutional integrity will be there only if there is a boundary wall. It further orally mentioned that the four aspects highlighted must be completed first before moving on to others, including the issue of partially constructed buildings.

In response, the Advocate General submitted that uninterrupted supply of medicines has already been assured. The availability of vehicles have also been addressed and what remains to be done is the actual purchase of the same, which can be completed in about a week or two's time, subject to the availability in the online portal, he added.

The AG further submitted that the construction of the wall around the hospitals are going on in great speed and that a report on its present status, if it is not completed by then, will be filed by the next posting date. As regards the appointment of personnel, he sought another 2 weeks' time saying that there has been a change of incumbent in the post of Secretary, Health and Family Welfare department and that he is in the process of evaluating the files.

"As we said before, assurances per se, is not sufficient and it has to translate into action. The availability of medicines and vehicles are the easiest of the four things that we have mentioned and we are certain that it should be complied with by the next posting date. With regard to the construction of the wall and the appointment of personnel, we accede to the request of the learned Advocate General for time to file an action taken report. This shall be done on or before Tuesday after next," the Court said after recording the AG's submissions.

The case is posted to next Tuesday for further consideration.

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