After 14 years, woman from Nagpur mental health facility reunites with family in Telangana
3 min readNagpurMay 6, 2026 06:51 PM IST
A 52-year-old woman undergoing treatment at a government mental health facility in Nagpur has been reunited with her family in Telangana after 14 years, in what officials describe as a case of coordinated inter-state rehabilitation.
Damayanti (name changed), who was admitted to the Regional Mental Hospital in Nagpur from Priyadarshini Women’s Hostel in June 2014, was shifted this week to an facility run by a non-profit organisation in Khammam district, in Telangana.
Hospital authorities said efforts to trace her family had been ongoing for years, but gained momentum over the past two years under the supervision of Social Service Superintendent Kunda Katekhaye Bidkar. With assistance from police in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, her husband was traced in Srikakulam district, while her sister was located in Hyderabad.
Officials said Damayanti’s children were married and her husband was found begging outside a temple, and her sister, who is also mentally unstable, was found living in Hyderabad.
Using photographs and video calls facilitated by police, hospital authorities re-established contact between Damayanti and her family. “She repeatedly expressed her desire to return home after speaking to people from her village,” Kunda Bidkar said.
Hospital authorities then initiated the process of reuniting Damayanti with her sister, in coordination with Hyderabad Police. The Annam Seva Foundation in Khammam agreed to accommodate both the sisters and extend support to bring her husband as well.
The case was presented before the Mental Health Review Board under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Judge Anil Sharma approved the rehabilitation after receiving consent from the foundation.
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After completing all legal and administrative formalities, Damayanti bid farewell to the hospital on Tuesday. Hospital staff members Nilima Thakre and Madhuri Dudhpachare accompanied Damayanti to Khammam. On Wednesday, she reached the foundation, where she was received by director Annam Srinivas Rao.
“Damayanti has returned to her native environment, among familiar language and compassionate people. It is hoped that with the support of her husband and sister, her life ahead will become more stable and meaningful,” hospital officials said.
“Under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, every patient has the right to live with dignity and rights… This is a matter of pride for us and reinforces that humanity remains central to mental healthcare,” medical superintendent Amrish Mohabe said.
“A patient needs not just medical treatment, but also a sense of belonging and emotional warmth. After years of searching, we traced her family, and the longing to return home was visible in her eyes. This is not just rehabilitation, but an effort to bring back meaning to a life,” said social service superintendent Kunda Katekhaye Bidkar.
