Kerala High Court welcomes renaming of mental health centers as ‘Happiness and Wellness Centres’

The Kerala High Court has expressed satisfaction over the state government’s decision to rename mental health centers as “Happiness and Wellness Centres”, noting that the (so far) stigmatization of patients, their bystanders and the centers as a whole has been something that cannot be forgotten.

“Even the places where these centers operate are very often referred to rather pejoratively. We are sure that the name change will be a catalyst for the change we want to see,” said Justices Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji, who recently visited the centers in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode. They added that the continued violation of human rights (of patients) will bring shame to the civilized community and the nation.

The advocate general informed the court that the government was dealing with the issues of infrastructure and vacancies at the centers with “full sincerity”. He said the government’s decision is in line with the demands of the welfare state and that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that these centers are worthy of human existence and treatment in the shortest possible time, despite insufficient resources.

The Bench noted that some issues will require time and also heavy investment. However, if there is a violation of human rights, which occurs unintentionally, but only because of a lack of equipment, the situation is completely different. “Such violations, even if they are against constitutional rights, require the state, as we have said in our earlier orders, to sit up and rectify immediately. We believe that the state will have to immediately address four aspects – appointment of sufficient number of visitors, cooks, dhobis and security personnel; construction of walls to make the perimeters of the centers secure both for mental health and round-the-clock availability of mental health drugs; required superintendents and center doctors and the availability of at least one vehicle, preferably an electric vehicle, in each center for transporting food from the kitchens and for other ancillary purposes.

With sufficient staff and a secure perimeter, patients can be free in the open without fear of getting lost or even running away. The premises of the centers are quite large and can be converted into gardens, the court said. The matter was posted for hearing on September 15.

Published – 03 Sep 2026 22:55 IST