BENGALURU: Concerned over the inadequacy of treatment to mental disorders in the country the Centre has increased more than three fold the number of districts which had District Mental Health Programme, Union Health Minister J P Nadda has said.
Speaking at the 22nd Convocation of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) here on Saturday, he said this the incidence of mental disorder was was not uniform across the states.
The National Mental Health Survey has underscored that there is the triple burden of mental disorders which the need to address immediately he said and expressed happiness over NIMHANS being a strong and reliable partner in this endeavour.
”To deliver mental health care services across the country in assured manner, we recognise that monitoring is a weak link. With NIMHANS being in the Monitoring Task Force, we are very confident that we will be able to nurture the programme better,” he said.
Dr Nadda said taking cognisance of the huge burden of mental health problems in India, the government had brought forth a new statute the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 which is a stronger and more robust legal scaffold and will pave way for development of more humane and patient centric and rights based paradigm for mental healthcare in our country.
The National Mental Health Policy and National Mental Health Programme aim at generation of additional human resource for mental health in the country.
”We are focusing on increasing Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatric Nurses and Psychiatric Social Worker in the country, to provide both clinical and ancillary services.
”Mental Health Hospitals, Government Hospitals, Government Medical Colleges are being provided funds for developmental of Centres of Excellence in mental health,” he said.
The Minister said financial assistance has been provided for setting up of 23 such Centres of Excellence. Along with this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has supported 44 Departments in Government Medical Colleges for creating Post Graduate seats in all four specialities, upgradation of 88 Psychiatric Wings of Medical Colleges and General Hospitals and 29 State Mental Hospitals.
He congratulated the graduating students and said, ”As you continue your chosen path, always remember that this new journey is one of life-long learning and the patients are your life-long teachers. Always remember your alma-mater and continue to contribute to the vision and mission NIMHANS,” he added.
He said over the decades from being the lunatic asylum in the 19th century to being bestowed the status of Institute of National Importance in 2013, NIMHANS has grown in stature and made tremendous strides.
The institute was handling the patient load which increased to several lakhs during 2016-17 commendably, he said. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
