Recovered but Rejected: Families Refuse to Take Cured Patients Home from Nagpur Mental Hospital

Nagpur, July 20, 2025:

At the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) in Nagpur, hope and heartbreak coexist. While a recently cured woman from Chhindwara district was joyfully reunited with her family, many fully recovered patients continue to languish at the hospital, abandoned by their own loved ones.

On 14 July, a 27-year-old woman was taken home by her family after four months of psychiatric care and occupational therapy. Her journey had begun in trauma—driven by superstition, her family initially sought a cure through rituals, keeping her at a temple instead of seeking medical treatment. Eventually neglected by both her husband and mother, she wandered away and was rescued by Kalmeshwar Police before being admitted to RMH. Her recovery story stands out as a rare exception.

According to hospital officials, 12 other individuals remain institutionalised at RMH despite being medically fit for discharge. Their families have refused to accept them back, despite repeated counselling sessions, legal notices, and follow-ups by the hospital’s social service team.

One of the most poignant cases is that of a 63-year-old woman from Nanded, who has been at the hospital since 2005. Missing since 1995, she spent a decade on the streets before being admitted to RMH. Her husband has since remarried—contravening the Hindu Marriage Act—and her sons have refused to acknowledge or visit her. Hospital staff arranged phone calls, but the family refused to respond. “It is heartbreaking to see a mother, who once gave life to her children, now rejected and forgotten,” said Kunda Bidkar (Katekhaye), Social Service Superintendent at RMH.

Another patient, a 52-year-old woman from Ahilyanagar district, has been hospitalised for over 20 years. Though mentally stable and repeatedly expressing a desire to go home, her siblings—two brothers and a sister—refuse to accept her.

The psychological toll on both patients and staff is profound. “Whenever one patient is taken home, others begin packing their bags too, full of hope,” said Bidkar. “We often find cured patients waiting at the hospital gate, looking out with anticipation. But for many, no one comes. It’s not just a medical issue—it’s deeply emotional.”

Language barriers also complicate efforts, particularly for patients from states like Andhra Pradesh, where communication challenges hinder family reintegration.

Source : The Times of India

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