Medical practitioners to be fined or jailed for false mental health certificates

The government has approved the draft of a new law bringing harsher punishment to any medical practitioner found to have intentionally given a patient a false certificate of mental health.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 July 2018, 11:07 AM
Updated : 16 July 2018, 11:07 AM

A draft of the ‘Mental Health Act 2018’ was passed at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.

“The government has updated the law in an effort to protect the dignity of citizens with mental health, provide them with healthcare, ensure their right to property and rehabilitate them.”

The law has 31 sections and will oversee the direction, development, expansion, regulation and coordination of mental health related issues and duties entrusted to the government.

“It has been recommended that a committee will monitor mental health review to provide long-term treatment for patients.”

Alam said the draft also discussed the establishment of private and public mental health hospitals, their operation and the provision of respectful care.

“Any mental health professional intentionally providing a false certificate of mental health will be fined Tk 300,000, receive a one-year prison sentence, or both,” Alam said.

“If the guardian of a person with mental health issues is negligent in their care or the handling of their assets, or ignores an order regarding them from the court, they may be fined up to Tk 500,000, three years in prison, or both.”

Any individual found to be violating any other section of the law may be fined Tk 100,000, sentenced to six months in prison or both.

The cabinet had previously approved a draft of the ‘Mental Health Act’ on Jan 3, which had included the formation of a Department of Mental Health.

Any individual or company operating a mental health hospital without a licence would be fined Tk 500,000, be sentenced to three years in prison, or both. The latest draft sets a new maximum fine of Tk 2 million and a maximum prison sentence of five years in prison.

Any individual manipulating a mentally ill person into committing a crime will be fined Tk 500,000, be sentenced to two years in prison, or both.