Lok Sabha Question No. 2709 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-17
Subject: Shortage of Mental Healthcare Professionals
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. BHOLA SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2709 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 7 th MARCH, 2017

## SHORTAGE OF MENTAL H EALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

## 2709. DR. BHOLA SINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the country is facing an acute shortage of mental healthcare professionals;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  hospitals  and  Primary Health  Centres  are  adequate ly  staffed professionals  to handle such cases; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a)  &  (b): As  per  the  National  Survey  of  Mental  Health  Resources  carried out  by  the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare during 2002, ideal requirement of mental health professionals is estimated as under:
- i. Psychiatrists: 1.0 per 1,00,000 population
- ii. Clinical Psychologist: 1.5 p er 1,00,000 population
- iii. Psychiatric Social Workers: 2.0 per 1,00,000 population
- iv. Psychiatric Nurses: 1.0 per 10 psychiatric beds.

Based on the available information, the details of present requirement and estimated availability of mental health professionals in the country is as under:

| Manpower                   |   Requirement |   Availability |
|----------------------------|---------------|----------------|
| Psychiatrist               |         13500 |           3827 |
| Clinical Psychologists     |         20250 |            898 |
| Psychiatric Social Workers |         37000 |            850 |
| Psychiatric Nurses         |          3000 |           1500 |

To address the acute shortage of qualified mental health professionals in the country, the Central Government, under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), is providing support for implementation of manpower development schemes by States/UTs for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strengtheni ng/ establishment of Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specialties.

Till date, support has been provided for establishment of 21 Centres of Excellence strengthening/  establishment  of  39  Post  Graduate  (PG)  Departments  in  mental  healt specialties  in  the  country.  These  schemes  have  resulted  in  increasing  the  availabil additional Human Resource in the field of mental health.

(c) & (d): Health  being  a  State  subject,  it  is  the  responsibility  of  the  respective Government to ensure availability of adequate staff at State Government Hospitals and Prima Health  Centres.  However,  the  Central  Government  has  supported  implementation  of  the District  Mental  Health  Programme  (DMHP)  in  339  districts  of  the  country  for  detectio management and treatment of mental disorders/ illness at District Hospital level and i areas through outreach activities by the DMHP teams. Besides, the Central Government is a providing support for recruitment of staff at the Primary Health Centre (P HC) and Community Health Centre (CHC) levels for providing basic mental health services. In addition, supp also provided for the training of the staff of District Hospital, CHC and PHC for pro basic mental health services by integration with th e general health services.