Draft establishes patients' rights

Legislators to consider law to protect those wrongfully deemed mentally ill

BEIJING - A long-awaited draft law and the country's first to protect the rights of mentally ill people and prevent illegal forced hospitalization will be submitted to lawmakers for discussion at the end of this month, a chairpersons' meeting of the top legislature decided on Friday.

Lawmakers will be able to review and discuss the draft of the mental health law during their bimonthly session from Oct 24 to 29, according to a statement issued after the chairpersons' meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.