Stabbing incident: Kerala HC directs security audit at mental health centres

The Kerala High Court has directed that a security audit be held within a fortnight at all the three mental health centres in the State, in the wake of an inmate who escaped from the Thrissur mental health centre on Saturday stabbing three persons.

Expressing shock at the incident, a Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M.B. Snehalatha directed the Director of Health Services to submit a report in this regard, with specific reference to the areas where persons in need of care are being housed and protected.

The court had suo motu sought a report on the stabbing incident, following which an amicus curiae informed the court that no security audit had been done on the premises for years. Based on the report, the court said that no delay could be brooked, particularly when dealing with people who had no control over their actions.

The court directed the District Medical Officer, Thrissur, to verify the health status of the persons injured, how their treatment was being taken care of and also the provisions, if any, made for financing the expenses. It further directed the Superintendents of the mental health centres to inform the court about the measures in place for the protection of doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals of the institutions. Details regarding security personnel too have to be submitted.

The Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare department; the Director of Health Services; the District Medical Officer, Thrissur; the State Police Chief; the District Police Chief, Thrissur; and the Superintendents of the mental health centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode; have been impleaded in the matter.

The matter has been listed for hearing on March 3.