Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Mentally disabled to get identity cards

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE Oct. 12. The State Government will shortly issue identity cards to persons suffering from mental disability in accordance with the notification issued by the Government of India, after determining the extent of their illness.

Mental illness is one of the disabilities recognised under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. To get benefits under the Act or through various schemes, a person is required to have at least 40 per cent disability.

The Indian Psychiatric Society recently formulated the Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment Scale (IDEAS) by means of which mental illness can be evaluated in terms of percentage. So, it will be easier for mentally unwell persons to avail themselves of benefits from the Government, according to the Office of the Commissioner for Disabilities here. "We will be constituting medical boards at the district level all over the State in about three weeks for this purpose. The boards will evaluate the mentally ill persons and issue identity cards to them as soon as possible," Pradeep Kumar, Assistant Commissioner for Disabilities, told The Hindu.

In case there was violation of the rights of mentally ill persons, the public could lodge a complaint with the Office of the Commissioner for Disabilities or inform the nearest police station, he said. They could also call the Assistant Commissioner on phone (5482659) or send an e-mail (discom@vsnl.net).

Family members of patients may seek help from Association of the Mentally Disabled (AMEND) regarding management of these people, information on hospitals, treatment and so on. For details, call 5482641 or 5482639.

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