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Section 20 - Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
20. Right to protection from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.-
(1) Every person with mental illness shall have a right to live with dignity.
(2) Every person with mental illness shall be protected from cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in any mental health establishment and shall have the following rights, namely:-
(a) to live in safe and hygienic environment;
(b) to have adequate sanitary conditions;
(c) to have reasonable facilities for leisure, recreation, education and religious practices;
(d) to privacy;
(e) for proper clothing so as to protect such person from exposure of his body to maintain his dignity;
(f) to not be forced to undertake work in a mental health establishment and to receive appropriate remuneration for work when undertaken;
(g) to have adequate provision for preparing for living in the community;
(h) to have adequate provision for wholesome food, sanitation, space and access to articles of personal hygiene, in particular, women's personal hygiene be adequately addressed by providing access to items that may be required during menstruation;
(i) to not be subject to compulsory tonsuring (shaving of head hair);
(j) to wear own personal clothes if so wished and to not be forced to wear uniforms provided by the establishment; and
(k) to be protected from all forms of physical, verbal, emotional and sexual abuse.
Related Sections
- Section 95: Prohibited procedures
- Section 31: Appropriate Government to take measures as regard to human resource development and training, etc
- Section 101: Report to Magistrate of person with mental illness in private residence who is ill-treated or neglected
- Section 111: Power of Central Government to issue directions
- Section 29: Promotion of mental health and preventive programmes
Related Acts
- National Medical Commission Act, 2019
- Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015
- National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020
- Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, 2015
- National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021