Fill pending vacancies of medical staff at IHBAS: PIL in Delhi HC

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking direction to Centre and Delhi Government to fill the pending vacancies of the medical staff at the institute of human behaviour and allied sciences (IHBAS) in order to tackle the rise in the Psychiatric and Psychological cases in the country more effectively.

The petitioner advocate Amit Sahni, a social activist through this petition stated that shortage of Doctors and Medical Staff at IHBAS is a matter of serious concern and the responsible respondents have completely failed to tackle the same since long.

The petition also seeks direction to the respondents to address the promotion related issues and other inconvenience faced by the doctors/faculty of IHBAS to curtail the increasing number of resignations of faculty numbers. As it alleged that the respondents have also failed to redress the issue of non-promotion of the Faculty posted at IHBAS and the Doctors and Healthcare Professionals working at IHBAS have not been promoted for the last 10 years.

Sahni, through this petition also stated that, the IHBAS at present is working with 25 faculty members against 103 faculty members.

Plea to be heard on Wednesday by the bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan also mentioned that India's Coronavirus Crisis has pushed millions into forced isolation and unemployment. Due to which anxiety, depression and suicide are on the rise and that mental health could be the country's next crisis.

Plea added that, "there is no health without mental health" underlines the fact that mental health is an integral and essential component of health. Mental health, hither to neglected, is now recognized as a critical requirement and is engaging the attention of policy-makers, professionals and communities in India and across the globe.

The IHBAS is a premier Mental Healthcare Institute, which is working exclusively for patients suffering from Psychiatric and Psychological disorders. The said Institute came into existence in compliance of directives from the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

( With inputs from ANI )