Expert committee constituted to set minimum standards for mental health establishments

After setting minimum standards for de-addiction centres in Tamil Nadu, the focus is now on other categories of mental health establishments (MHE). The State has constituted an expert committee to formulate minimum standards for standalone psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes, psychiatry units attached to medical college hospitals, psychiatry wards within general or multi-speciality hospitals and long-term care establishments.

According to the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, minimum standards of mental health services should be specified by regulations made by the State Authority. Each State Authority can specify the minimum standards on the basis of their local conditions. For instance, some States may not have adequate psychiatrists, and so, their minimum standards can be fixed according to their circumstances, health officials explained.

“The aim is to ensure every MHE has certain basic standards. This will include staff nurses, psychologists, doctors, space, and number of beds required for a certain number of patients. Putting these basic standards in place at a MHE is important to ensure the human rights of persons with mental illness,” a health official said.

According to an order, the expert committee, tasked with formulating minimum standards for MHE, is expected to submit its recommendations to the government within a month. M. Malaiappan, Chief Executive Officer, State Mental Health Authority, Chennai is the committee’s chairperson. Apart from a convenor, the committee has 10 members including officials of the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services, government and private hospital psychiatrists, representatives of the Tamil Nadu Chapter of Indian Psychiatric Society and NGOs.

The Health department, while providing services through State-run MHEs, also exercises regulatory oversight over mental health services across both government and private establishments. This is facilitated through the State Mental Health Authority that is responsible for prescribing and enforcing minimum standards for various categories of MHEs, it said.

MHEs can be broadly categorised into five distinct types – standalone psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes, psychiatry units attached to medical college hospitals, psychiatry wards within general or multi speciality hospitals, de-addiction centres, and long-term care establishments such as rehabilitation homes for persons with mental illness, halfway homes and Emergency Care and Recovery Centres.

It said formulating minimum standards for each category of MHE is essential to ensure the delivery of quality mental health services and to meet the emerging needs. Already, standards for de-addiction centres were notified in the gazette dated March 12, 2025. Efforts are underway to develop similar standards for the remaining four categories of MHEs for which the expert committee was constituted.

The minimum standards formulated for de-addiction centres includes the admission procedure for persons with Substance Use Disorder, human resources including minimum qualifications for the personnel engaged in the centres, infrastructure, CCTV monitoring, matters of human rights and dignity and basic amenities.

Experts say setting standards for MHEs will definitely raise benchmarks. “There needs to be certain standards and minimum requirements to cater to persons with mental illnesses including space and bedding. Despite checks, human rights violations still happen, and fixing standards will put the onus on all the stakeholders involved. Periodic inspections should be included. Hopefully, in the coming years, the gaps in the system will be addressed as well as mushrooming of MHEs come under check,” an expert said.