379 stuck in Maharashtra mental hospitals despite being fit: HC

The Bombay High Court has ordered the priority discharge of 379 patients who have been in the state’s regional mental hospitals for over a decade. The court expressed concern over the patients’ prolonged stay in the hospitals, even though they have been declared fit for discharge. The court also criticized the State Mental Health Authority for not having a plan for the rehabilitation of these patients. The judges requested all review boards to prioritize the cases of these patients and asked the state government to provide data on halfway homes on November 8.