Mental health care bill passed in Lok Sabha, decriminalises suicide

Suicide has been decriminalised in the bill and person attempting a suicide cannot be held under Indian Penal Code, citing the reason that people who attempt suicide are already mentally ill.

Apart from decriminalising suicide attempts, the bill bans the use of electric shock therapy to treat children suffering from mental illness though adults are not spared under certain circumstances like anaesthesia.

The bill also embodies certain provisions that favours women like they cannot be separated from children except under certain circumstances.

Union health minister JP Nadda referred to the bill as "mother-centric" and "human centric".

Regarding the bill as a whole, Nadda in a tweet said: "Building a healthy India: Gov's National Health Policy will improve health outcomes & reduce out of pocket expenses."

The bill also empowers individuals to give directions regarding the kind of treatment one would want, if diagnosed with mental illness.

Congratulating the government for the move, former Union minister Shashi Tharoor in a tweet laid emphasis on implementation of the process for the success of the bill.

"Now implementation is crucial. Need good rules&budget resources" he said.

The health bill which received assent of Lok Sabha on Monday to become a law, was earlier passed by the upper house in 2016.