The Kerala High Court has welcomed the State government’s decision to rename its Mental Health Centres as “Happiness and Wellness Centres”, while making it clear that changing the name must be followed by immediate improvements in facilities and patient care.
A Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji passed the order on September 3, 2026, in proceedings concerning the condition of mental health centres in the State. The Bench had earlier personally visited centres at Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode.
Background of the Case
The proceedings arose from the Court’s continuing examination of conditions at the centres. In earlier orders, the Bench had recorded concerns after visiting the facilities and had sought remedial steps from the State.
The Advocate General informed the Court that the government had decided to rename the centres pursuant to an earlier order passed on August 21, 2026.
The Bench welcomed the move but said it was only the beginning of several measures that were still required.
“This is certainly a welcome step, but only the first of the several necessary to follow.”
The Court said the stigma attached to patients, their attendants and the centres themselves could not be ignored. It expressed hope that the new name would help bring about the broader change it wanted to see.
The Bench stressed that shortage of resources could not justify conditions that resulted in violations of human rights. It distinguished between reforms that may naturally require time and situations where basic constitutional rights are affected and immediate action is necessary.
The Court particularly referred to the confined conditions in which patients were being kept, observing that inadequate staff and insufficient perimeter security were contributing to the problem.
For the first stage of reform, the Court identified four immediate requirements: sufficient attenders, cooks, laundry workers and security personnel; secure compound walls; uninterrupted supplies of medicines for both mental and physical health; and at least one or two vehicles, preferably electric vehicles, for transporting food and other purposes.
The Bench noted that adequate staff and secure premises could allow patients greater access to open areas instead of being confined because of safety concerns. It also referred to the possibility of developing unused areas of the centres into gardens.
The Advocate General sought one week to examine the four immediate issues and assured the Court that the other concerns raised in earlier orders would also be addressed.
The Court said it could not permit avoidable delay, observing that continued violations of human rights would be a matter of serious concern.
The matter was accordingly posted for September 15, 2026.
Case Details:
Case Title: The High Court Legal Services Committee & Another v. The State of Kerala & Others
Case Number: W.P.(C) No. 16603 of 2026
Judge: Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice Basant Balaji
Decision Date: September 3, 2026
