The Hindu : New Delhi News : Work on to improve mental health care

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 17, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Work on to improve mental health care

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Funds released for modernisation of three mental hospitals during 2007-08

NEW DELHI: Working at revamping the mental health programme, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has brought out a blueprint to provide quality medical care to people affected by severe mental disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, organic psychosis and major depression that affect nearly 20 per 1000 population.

This population needs continuous treatment and regular follow-up. However, close to 10 million mentally ill patients in India go without adequate treatment.

Worse still, more than half are never treated.

Now the Ministry is looking at integrating mental health with primary health care through the national mental health programme, create provision of tertiary care institutions for treatment of mental disorders, eradicate stigmatisation of mentally ill patients and protect their rights through regulatory institutions like the Central Mental Health Authority and the State Mental Health Authority.

The Ministry is also looking at extending the mental health programme to more districts all over the country, strengthening and modernisation of mental hospitals and upgradation of psychiatry wings in the general hospitals/medical centres.

“To modernise State-run mental hospitals in the country, a one-time grant with a ceiling of Rs.3 crore on the basis of benchmark of requirements and level of preparedness is being allocated. Funds have been released for modernisation of three mental hospitals during 2007-08. A one-time grant of Rs.50 lakh is being given for upgradation of infrastructure and equipment.

“So far 71 medical colleges have been granted funds for upgradation of their psychiatric wings under the programme,” said a senior health official.The report prepared by the Ministry has also assessed the shortage of trained psychiatrists and noted that in India there is less than one psychiatrist available for every three lakh population.

“The shortage of trained manpower in the field of mental health, social stigma and lack of knowledge of psychiatric patients and their families, the negative attitude of general practitioners, primary care physicians and other specialists have ensured that availability and accessibility of minimum mental health care for all mentally ill remain a distant dream,” states the report prepared by the Ministry.

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