Bombay High Court Urges Immediate Drug Supply for Mental Hospital Patients in Nagpur The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday took decisive action to address the critical shortage of essential psychiatric medicines at the Regional Mental Hospital, ordering an urgent supply of the required drugs after issuing stern directives to the authorities. A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode emphasized the urgency of ensuring uninterrupted treatment for patients, warning that the administration must clarify whether medicines would be made available. If not, the court directed that the names of responsible officials be submitted for accountability. The court’s intervention led to the immediate procurement and delivery of the medicines within two hours. The court initiated a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after reports highlighted that key psychiatric drugs had been unavailable for over a year and a half, severely impacting patient care. The Regional Mental Hospital in Nagpur serves approximately 300 outpatients daily and houses over 500 admitted patients, including nearly 280 men and 250 women. All these individuals rely on continuous treatment and medication to manage their conditions. Court-appointed amicus curiae Isha Thakre informed the bench that at least four essential medicines were missing, raising concerns about the adequacy of the hospital’s supply. While the state initially claimed compliance with the court’s directives, the bench ordered a verification process and scheduled the next hearing for April 8. The court’s intervention followed a media report published on January 20, which revealed that only 10 types of medicines were in stock at the hospital, while several critical drugs had remained unavailable for nearly 1.5 years.#nagpur #bombay_high_court #regional_mental_hospital #isha_thakre #public_interest_litigation
