Fort St. George. File | Picture credit score: B. Jothi Ramalingam
The Authorities of Tamil Nadu not too long ago launched the Draft State Psychological Well being Care Rules, 2026, which stipulates minimal high quality requirements for psychological well being providers and minimal {qualifications} for workers working in psychological well being services (MHEs).
The draft laws state that “there shall be no bodily, psychological or sexual abuse or violence of any sort” in opposition to hospitalized sufferers.
In line with the draft laws, the Tamil Nadu Psychological Well being Division will preserve a register of psychological well being professionals training within the state, which can be up to date on a month-to-month foundation. It additionally proposes publishing an inventory of psychological well being professionals by district on January 1 of every 12 months. Psychological well being services are categorized into Class A (stand-alone MHE), Class B (psychiatry division of a medical college), Class C (psychiatric ward of a multispecialty hospital), Class D (stand-alone de-addiction heart), and Class E (psychosocial rehabilitation heart).
The draft laws specify comfy dwelling situations for sufferers. A separate crib with mattress, pillow, mattress sheets and blankets should be supplied. “The fan-to-bed ratio should be at the very least 1:4,” the draft regulation specifies, and the minimal distance between two parallel beds should be 1 meter. It’s specified that the variety of bogs should be within the ratio 1:8 and the variety of loos within the ratio 1:10. There needs to be separate bogs and loos for women and men, separate bogs for women and men, and bogs for individuals with disabilities.
“Bodily restraint shall be used when it’s the solely means accessible to forestall imminent hurt to the individual or others and shall be accredited by the psychiatrist and the circumstances, and the interval of restraint shall be recorded on the case sheet and in a separate report e book maintained for the aim,” the draft regulation reads. The individual’s household or designated consultant shall learn of all situations of detention inside 24 hours. Inpatients should be discharged upon request at any time after admission to the MHE.
On the lookout for proposals
The general public might submit any solutions or objections by April 30, 2026 by electronic mail to tnsmha@gmail.com or by put up to the Chief Govt Officer, Tamil Nadu Psychological Well being Authority, IMH Campus, Medavakkam Tank Highway, Kilpauk, Chennai-600 010.
