A national mental health policy too was ready, offering fresh guidelines on services and manpower resources of the NIHM, Health Ministry revealed. The new law and the national policy will together contribute to drastic changes in the present approach to treating mentally ill patients.

One significant change is that patients can hereafter be admitted to any psychiatric unit in the country, unlike at present where involuntary patients can be admitted only to the psychiatric unit of the NIMH at Angoda.

The Act will also look at strengthening long term and interim care units across the island, Health Ministry said.