Aatmja Kumari(Intern Journalist): The Delhi High Court has given a big relief to the mental patients who are not able to get the corona test due to not having an identity card. Under which, now dummy number 9999999999 can be treated and treated as contact number and hospital or lab address as home address. The High Court has said that even the homeless mental patients living in a pathetic condition at the lowest rung of the society should get the same facilities of Covid-19, which are available to ordinary people.
The High Court has also asked the ICMR to consider the petitioner’s demand that the area police officer’s number be given as the contact number of homeless mentally ill people. In fact, the High Court had asked the Central Government and the ICMR to find a solution on the Covid-19 test of millions of homeless mentally ill people in Delhi and how to treat them. Because mental patients are not being treated without an identity card.
The High Court had a question with the government that when these homeless people do not even have their own photo, then how will these people get their identity cards made in the Covid period?
According to ICMR guidelines, it is mandatory to give identity cards to every patient for the test and treatment of Covid-19. Due to this guideline, Covid test and treatment of mentally ill homeless people lying on the road is not possible in Delhi hospitals.
However, after the court order and ICMR’s consent to use the dummy number, now the Covid infected homeless mental patients lying on the streets of Delhi will also be treated. During the hearing held today, the ICMR has also suggested the state government set up camps for these people.
According to an estimate, the number of homeless mental patients in Delhi is around two lakhs. Under the Mental Healthcare Act, the care of mental patients is the responsibility of the government of that state. Apart from this, under the Person with Disability Act, the responsibility of mentally ill people is part of the disaster management strategy.
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