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For providing affordable and accessible mental healthcare facilities in the country, the Government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has been sanctioned for implementation in 738 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 bedded in-patient facility at the District level. 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 specialities 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 specialities. Mental Health Services are also provisioned for 22 AIIMS. These services are also available under PMJAY.
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.
In addition to the above, mental health services have been added in the package of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care under Ayushman Bharat – HWC Scheme. Operational guidelines on Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Health and Wellness Centres (HWC) have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.
Besides the above, the Government has launched a “National Tele Mental Health Programme” on 10th October 2022, to improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As on 18.07.2023, 31 States/ UTs have set up 42 Tele MANAS Cells and have started tele mental health services. More than 1,94,000 calls have been handled on the helpline number.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha yesterday.
