Over 11.76 lakh calls addressed through helpline, 53 Tele MANAS cells established: MoS Health informs Parliament

New Delhi: According to the National Mental Health Survey carried out by the Government in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, which encompassed 12 states across the country, the prevalence of mental disorders among adults aged 18 and older is approximately 10.6%, the Union Minister of State for Health Shri. Prataprao Jadhav informed the Lok Sabha recently.  

According to MoS Health, the Government launched a “National Tele Mental Health Programme” (NTMHP) on 10th October 2022, to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As of 23.07.2024, 36 States/ UTs have set up 53 Tele MANAS Cells and have started telemental health services. More than 11,76,000 calls have been handled on the helpline number.

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The Minister was responding to a series of questions raised by Parliament member Shri Raja A who sought to know whether the Government conducted any survey to find the percentage of people affected by mental illness in the country, if so, the details thereof; whether the access to mental health facilities and professionals is hindered by inadequate infrastructure and specialist doctors in rural areas, if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken in this regard, area-wise.

He also inquired whether any review has been made on the effectiveness of National Tele-Mental Health Programme which was launched two years back; and if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to make it more effective and popular in the rural areas in the country.

In response to these questions, MoS Health said that the Government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) to provide affordable and accessible mental healthcare facilities in the country. 

"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. Facilities made available under DMHP at the Community Health Centre(CHC) and Primary Health Centre(PHC) levels 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 the above services, there is a provision of 10-bed in-patient facility at the District level," said the Minister. 

Further, the minister informed the parliament that  25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialities as well as to provide tertiary-level treatment facilities under the tertiary care component of the National Mental Health Programme. Further, the Government has also supported 19 Government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG Departments in mental health specialities. Mental Health Services are also provisioned for in 22 new All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS). 

In addition to the above, the Government is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary healthcare level. The Government has upgraded more than 1.73 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have been added in the package of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Operational guidelines on Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

"The Government is also augmenting the availability of manpower to deliver mental healthcare services in the underserved areas of the country by providing online training courses to various categories of general healthcare medical and para medical professionals through the Digital Academies, since 2018, established at the three Central Mental Health Institutes namely 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. 

Besides the above, the Government has launched a “National Tele Mental Health Programme” (NTMHP) on 10th October 2022, to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As on 23.07.2024, 36 States/ UTs have set up 53 Tele MANAS Cells and have started tele mental health services. More than 11,76,000 calls have been handled on the helpline number," added the Minister. 

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