World Mental Health Day – October 10: Mental hospitals making shift to community rehab, strive to address psychiatrist shortfall

World Mental Health Day, observed connected October 10 each year, focusses connected the value of intelligence well-being.

Although the authorities has made efforts to displacement absorption from agelong enactment astatine intelligence hospitals to community-based rehabilitation, officials said the main contented is that the fig of intelligence wellness professionals remains inadequate arsenic per the demand.

In Maharashtra, presently determination are 960 mentally sick patients admitted successful Pune’s Regional Mental Hospital, 760 successful Thane, 465 successful Nagpur and 129 successful Ratnagiri.

As per the National Mental Health Survey 2015–16, astatine slightest 10.6 per cent adults endure intelligence disorders successful India, and the attraction spread for intelligence disorders ranged betwixt 70 and 92 per cent for antithetic disorders. The World Health Organization states that determination should beryllium astatine slightest 3 practicing psychiatrists per 1 lakh population, and hence arsenic per National Mental Health Survey, India has astir 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population.

On the lines of NIMHANS

Dr Sunil Patil, superintendent, Regional Mental Hospital successful Yerawada, Pune, said the absorption is towards rehabilitation of patients with intelligence unwellness who person recovered. “We person 2,500 beds astatine RMH successful Pune and presently 960 patients. Over the years we person been palmy successful rehabilitating patients with their families. We are besides addressing the shortfall of elder psychiatrists,” helium said. Efforts are present connected to present the archetypal signifier of the Rs 132-crore RMH task to beryllium modelled on lines of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS). “Work volition statesman soon crossed the 84 acre campus,” Dr Patil told The Indian Express.

Decentralising care

Dr Swapnil Lale, CEO of State Mental Health Authority, said they were focused connected decentralising intelligence wellness care. A 7–member squad of psychiatrists, objective psychologists and others has been acceptable up astatine territory hospitals wherever a 10-bed psychiatric ward tin beryllium acceptable up. Hence the load is reduced connected intelligence wellness hospitals which volition beryllium upgraded to determination institutes of psychiatry and allied sciences. “We person besides projected 2 MD Psychiatry seats for Pune and Nagpur to Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Another connection has besides been submitted for an MSC people successful objective science arsenic an effort to make trained manpower,” Dr Lale added. Manshakti (Power of Mind) clinics person been acceptable up astatine 1,400 superior wellness centers successful the state, Dr Lale added.