NewKerala.com

India Launches National Mental Health Programme to Boost Services Nationwide

The government has implemented the National Mental Health Programme to strengthen services across 767 districts. Facilities include outpatient services, counselling, drugs, and inpatient care at the district level. Over 1.83 lakh Sub Health Centres and Primary Health Centres have been upgraded to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, with mental health added to their service packages. A National Tele Mental Health Programme has also been launched to improve access to counselling and care.

Key Points: National Mental Health Programme to Boost Services: Minister

  • Programme covers 767 districts
  • Upgraded over 1.83 lakh health centres
  • Includes 10-bed inpatient facilities
  • Launched National Tele Mental Health Programme
2 min read

National Mental Health Programme to boost services: Minister

Government implements National Mental Health Programme, expanding services to 767 districts and launching tele-mental health initiatives.

"Mental health services have been added in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care - Savitri Thakur"

New Delhi, April 1

In a bid to strengthen mental health services, the government has implemented National Mental Health Programme, which includes postpartum mothers, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts for which support is provided to States/UTs through the National Health Mission, said Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question.

Facilities made available under DMHP at the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) levels, inter-alia, include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance services etc.

In addition to above services, there is a provision of 10 bedded in-patient facility at the district level, the minister informed.

The government has upgraded more than 1.83 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

Mental health services have been added in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, said Thakur.

Operational guidelines and training manuals for various cadres on Mental, Neurological, and substance use disorders (MNS) at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

Under the tertiary care component of NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialties as well as to provide tertiary level treatment facilities.

Further, the Government has also supported 19 government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG Departments in mental health specialties.

There are 47 government run mental hospitals in the country, including three Central Mental Health Institutions -- National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam and Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Mental Health Services are also provisioned in all AIIMS.

The government has also launched a "National Tele Mental Health Programme" to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good initiative on paper. The real challenge is implementation and awareness. Will people in villages actually go to a PHC for mental health? Stigma is still a huge barrier. Hope they run awareness campaigns alongside.
A
Arjun K
The National Tele Mental Health Programme is a game-changer for a country our size. People in remote areas can finally get access to specialists. Hope it's affordable and user-friendly.
S
Sarah B
While I appreciate the expansion of services, I'm concerned about the quality of care. Training manuals are one thing, but do we have enough trained professionals at the PHC level? Building capacity is key.
V
Vikram M
Upgrading SHCs to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and adding mental health services is a smart integration. Makes it part of general healthcare, which helps reduce the 'otherness' of mental illness. Good move.
K
Karthik V
The focus on increasing PG seats in mental health specialties is the most important part. We have a massive shortage of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. This addresses the root of the supply problem. 👍

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50