The long-awaited Law on Mental Health has been drafted, but some law experts are still not satisfied, claiming it fails to give clear definitions of some key issues, according to a recent issue of the Beijing-based Fazhi Ribao (The Rule of Law Daily).

The newspaper quoted Vice-Minister Ma Xiaowei of the Ministry of Health as saying that it is urgent to promulgate the law as mental patients, who account for 13 per thousand of the country's population, are one of the most vulnerable groups.

Chinese law drafters have adopted international practice while working on scriptures regarding key issues such as nursing and hospitalization of mental patients.

Mental patients' dignity and legal right should be respected, according to the draft.

But some critics still question some issues, such as judicial examination and medical diagnosis for mental patients, as well as the field's administrative management.

Currently, several government departments in charge of health, civil affairs and public security are involved in dealing with mental patients.

In the same issue of Fazhi Ribao, a signed analytic article said that Chinese health departments began drafting the law in 1985 and the first draft was finished in November of that year. It urged the government to share a bigger part in medical charges for mental patients.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2005)