Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni stated that steps will be taken to introduce Sri Lanka’s Mental Health Act in the near future.
He made this statement while participating in a celebration held to mark the 100th anniversary of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
The Deputy Minister noted that the country’s mental health service is at a right turning point and highlighted that the existing mental health policy is now a hundred years old.
Accordingly, he said that the process of updating the Act has already begun and that the new Mental Health Act will be brought soon.
Dr. Wijemuni further emphasized that although it is a challenging task, the initial draft of the proposed legislation has already been submitted to Parliament and the Cabinet, after which it will be forwarded to obtain public opinion regarding the new Act.
