At the Ayodhya District Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, a man who had been brought in after being declared mentally unstable was found tied to a bed in a disused veranda.
According to eyewitness accounts and video circulating in social media:
The patient was brought to the hospital on an e-rickshaw after being found wandering and declared mentally unwell.
He had reportedly torn mattresses and bed-sheets in the psychiatric ward area, following which the hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Rajesh Singh instructed that he be referred to the psychiatry department of Dr Prabha Kumari Mahila Medical College & Hospital, Darshan Nagar (Darshan Nagar Medical College) for specialised treatment.
Instead of that referral, reports indicate the patient was moved to an abandoned veranda of the hospital a section officially marked “unfit for use" and tied to a bed with his hands and feet bound. A plate of food was placed before him though he remained bound and unable to consume it since all his four limbs were tied to the 4 poles of the bed.
The hospital’s superintendent has called the act “inhuman and wrong” and affirmed that no patient should ever be restrained in such a manner, and that the veranda is not a designated ward.
The district health authorities have ordered an inquiry and indicated disciplinary action will be taken.
When a person in crisis shows violent or self-harming behaviour, psychiatric evaluation and medical supervision are required. The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 defines rights of individuals with mental illness, including the right to dignity and protection from cruel or degrading treatment.1
Under this Act, mechanical or physical restraint may be used only when absolutely necessary and under the supervision of a qualified psychiatrist, with reasons documented and the situation regularly reviewed.1
Protocols specify that health-care staff should prioritise de-escalation techniques, safe environments, and sedative medication before resorting to physical restraints. 2
Likewise, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) guideline advises that restraints should be discontinued as soon as possible, continuously monitored, and never applied in non-clinical areas.3
In this case, restraining a patient in an unused and unsafe veranda outside the psychiatric ward and without professional oversight, is inconsistent with both national and international standards.
Studies have shown that unmonitored or prolonged restraint can cause both physical injury and psychological trauma. Overcrowded wards, lack of training, and infrastructure deficits contribute to such incidents, despite existing legal safeguards.
Government of India, Ministry of Law and Justice. The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. New Delhi: Government of India, 2017. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/2249/1/A2017-10.pdf.
Paul, F. A. “Exploring Psychiatric Patient Restraints: Balancing Safety, …” International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 2024. ScienceDirect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876201824001448
American Psychiatric Association. 2022. Resource Document on Seclusion or Restraint. Patient Safety Work Group, Council on Quality Care. February. https://www.psychiatry.org/getattachment/e9b21b26-c933-4794-a3c4-01ad427eed91/Resource-Document-Seclusion-Restraint.pdf
(Rh/TL)
