· The subjudice dispute over ownership of IMH land needs to be addressed by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh with the highest priority. The Advocate General should be engaged to contest this land dispute on behalf of IMH. The endeavour should be in the direction of not causing any dislocation to the functioning of the hospital, however, without ignoring the rightful claims of the claimants over the hospital land. If necessary, the best legal brains of the country should be consulted to arrive at a just and fair solution which should be in the larger public interest. Government Hospital for Mental Care (GHMC), Visakhapatnam (30th and 31st March, 2009) The ownership of the land of Government Hospital for Mental Care, Vizag was with Department of Health, Medical & Family Welfare, Govt. of A.P. Hyderabad. Of the total land area of 47.92 acres, Hospital of Mental Care was allotted 15.38 acres.Other allotments were as under: · Regional Laboratory -1.45 acres · ENT hospital- 3.87 acres · Chest & ID hospital -10.16 acres · vacant site proposed for Cold Chain complex- 2.13 acres · road area- 4.11 acres The vacant land of 10.82 acres was planned to be sold and the sale proceeds were meant to be used for construction of new hospital buildings. The plan, however, was not implemented. The new hospital building at an estimated cost of Rs. 12 crores had come under occupation since Feb. 2006. There was a large waiting space comprising three to four large verandas with benches and PVC moulded chairs for OPD patients/ family members. There was an administrative building, a laboratory, 12 consultation rooms for the OPD patients, an observation room to keep violent and aggressive patients for administering sedatives till they become normal, a drug dispensing unit, a small recovery room attached to ECT room. All cells had been abolished and dilapidated wards had been demolished. The total bed strength of this hospital was 300. Of these, 220 beds were in closed wards and 80 beds in open wards. There was no congestion and overcrowding in the wards. There were 20 inpatients in each ward and the gap between the 2 beds was one metre. The toilet patient ratio was 1:1.6. All the wards were having good lighting and ventilation. There were separate occupational therapy units for male and female patients. Manovikas, a training and rehabilitation centre for the mentally ill had been started in the hospital premises on 15th August, 2007. Internal roads had been repaired and there was adequate provision of street lights. However, there were no staff quarters, no hostel for PG students within the premises of the hospital and the library was ill equipped. Care and Treatment in Mental Health Institutions– Some Glimpses in the Recent Period 21