NHRC notice to West Bengal on Berhampore Mental Hospital issue

State’s Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee has been asked to submit a report to the Commission in eight weeks.

National Human Rights Commission [NHRC] on Thursday issued a notice to the West Bengal government over "deplorable condition of patients" at Berhampore Mental Hospital.

State’s Chief Secretary Basudeb Banerjee has been asked to submit a report to the Commission in eight weeks.

“Special Rapporteur, East Zone, Mr. Domodar Sarangi, will assess the situation on the ground and submit a report to the Commission,” an NHRC official said.

According to a mental heath rights organisation Anjali, patients — both men and women — were lying on dirty floors in a very bad condition, as reported in

The Hindu on Thursday.

“They had not bathed or shaved for months [and] having visible signs of various diseases. The toilets were so filthy that nobody could use them. The bed sheets were full of bugs,” the representatives of the organisation said.

>The patients were photographed without clothe s by the NGO, Anjali.