HYDERABAD: The decades old Institute of Mental Health at Erragadda is all set for a major infrastructural overhaul with a Rs. 3-crore fund provided under National Mental Health Programme.

The fund, released a few months ago, will ensure a major uplift for the existing building apart from adding a new 150-bed block specially meant for the court and criminal cases. A new well-equipped kitchen and a modern laundry are the other facilities to be added at the sprawling campus.

The National Mental Health Programme has budgetary provisions for improvement of mental health institutions in different parts of the country. Following a proposal made by the institute, a Central team has visited the place and after scrutiny of the ageing building and understanding the need to improve facilities here, approved the budget, officials say.

Not really able to meet the requirements of the institute, the present kitchen has a restricted menu and dishes out bread, `khichdi' and such items.

The new kitchen with modern cooking facility would enlarge the menu and be able to provide varied food items to patients here. When in place, the new laundry facility too would do away with the present manual washing system for the 350-odd patients here.

According to institute authorities, there was a rise in the number of patients in the criminal and court case category. "Earlier we used to take care of about eight to 10 such patients but the numbers have risen and we have more than 50 of them here," says M. Gowri Devi, institute superintendent.

The institute, which was plagued by the problem of patients sneaking out from the premises, has already started work on a proper boundary wall using a maintenance grant of Rs.27 lakhs.

The earlier wall had several breaches and Dr. Gowri Devi says.

"There however is a problem with some family members of former employees who are staying in the premises. They are refusing to vacate and are demanding alternative accommodation. The matter has been taken to the notice of the Collector," she adds.

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