KARACHI: Five years since the passage of the Sindh Mental Health Act, the provincial government finally formed the 10-member Sindh Mental Health Authority (SMHA), which would advise relevant authorities vis-àvis improved mental healthcare facilities in the province.

Besides, the authority would devise its own formulations to improve Sindh`s profile in providing better health facilities, officials said.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh health ministry on Tuesday, Senator Dr Karim Khuwaja would be the chairman and secretary health or special secretary (public health) of the health ministry would be secretary of the SMHA.

Other members of the authority who have been notified are: retired justice Rehmat Jafferi, director-general health services, Hyderabad, additional secretary (technical or public health), Dr Tufail Ahmed Baloch, medical superintendent, PMC Hospital Benazirabad, medical superintendent, Sir CJ Institute of Psychiatry, Hyderabad, Prof Iqbal Afridi (Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre), Prof Razaur Rehman (Dow University of Health Sciences), Prof Moin Ansari (Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences), Dr Sadia Qureshi (Aman Foundation), Dr Amjad Mughal(Services Hospital Karachi), Dr Rubina Kidwai (consultant psychologist), Musarrat Jabeen (women development department), and deputy secretary (technical or public health) of the health ministry.

Experts and activists had been calling for the past five years to formulate the rules ofbusiness ofthe act.

The Sindh Mental Health Act 2013 had replaced the century-old Lunacy Act of 1912, after spending years languishing in the health ministry. Sindh was then the only province in the country to have introduced new legislation for mental health. Punjab later followed suit. However, since the passage of the act, the law ministry failed to announce its rules.

According to the law, the chairperson and the members of the authority have been appointed for four years.

The authority will advise the government on all matters relating to promotion of mental health and prevention of mental disorders; to develop and establish new standards for care and treatment of patients; to recommend measures to improve existing mental health services and setting up of child and adolescence, psycho-geriatric, forensic, learning disability and community based services; to prescribe procedures with respect to setting up and functioning of mental health services and facilities; and to prescribe a code of practice to be implemented for achieving the purposes and objects ofthis act as well as to be followed by all the mental health personnel involved with the care of patients under this act.

It will provide for regular review by the Board of Visitors to ensure that the provisions of the act for assessment and treatment are being properly carried out, whether or not requested by any individual, patient or his relative; to prescribe for care, aftercare or rehabilitation, under supervision or otherwise; to provide for and regulate the setting up of helplines and crisis centres for the general public with regard to mental health; and to provide for, organise and regulate public awareness programmes and promote research, publish journals, bulletins, magazines, and other educational material on mental health issues.

The authority will also register psychiatrists for the purposes of the act, in such manner as may be prescribed; and to arrange and organise such courses and training programmes.

The authority, by notification in the official gazette, may make regulations in respect of functions specified in subsection (7) of the act.

Besides, it will, in consultation with the government, establish a Board of Visitors.

The Board of Visitors would inculde a chairperson who is or has been a judge of the high court; two psychiatrists, one having a minimum of 10 years` experience in government service; and one prominent citizen of good standing.