Lok Sabha Question No. 270 (STARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Mental Health Services
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Vinod Chavda, Ramesh Bidhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 270 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH DECEMBER , 2019 MENTAL HEALTH SERVIC ES

## *270. SHRI VINOD L. CHAVDA: SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI:

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

- (a) whether any study has been conducted on access of people to mental he services in the country, if so, the salient features/outcome of the study;
- (b) whether the said study has shown that only 50 per cent of people have access to mental health services and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to provide additional mental health faci to the poor and deprived people; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) to ( d):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 270* FOR 6 TH DECEMBER , 2019

(a)  to  (d):    The  Government  conducted  the  National  Mental  Health  Surv (NMHS)  of  India  through  the  National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and  Neu Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore in 2016 as per which the prevalence of mental disorders in adults over the age o f 18 years is about 10.6%.   As per this survey there was at least one mental health hospital in all the 12 surveyed States, Manipur;  all  states  had  medical  colleges  with  a  psychiatry  department,  ge hospitals with a psychiatry unit and a fe w had de - addiction centres. Apart from the major  mental  health  facilities,  there  were  450  mobile  mental  units  and  24 -addiction  centres  providing  mental  health  services  in  the  surveyed  S However, as per the Survey, the existing facilities had inte r - state variations.

Even though public health and hospitals is a State subject and setting up of hospitals  is  primarily  within  the  domain  of  State  Governments,  the  Cen Government  supplements  the  efforts  of  State  Governments.    As  per  availa information, there are 41 mental health hospitals run by State Governments Union Ter ritories that provide mental healthcare services in the country. C Government is also running three Mental Health Institutions, viz. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Central Institute of Psychi Ranchi  and  Lokopr iya  Gopinath  Bordoloi  Regional  Institute  of  Mental  Health Tezpur, Assam. With a view to further increase mental healthcare facilities i country,  Department  of  Psychiatry  has  been  set  up  in  each  of  the  6  n established All India Institute of Medica l Sciences (AIIMS) and similar provision has been made  in the upcoming 15 new AIIMS. Similarly, many other Central well as State Government hospitals also have Psychiatry Departments. Furthe strengthen  mental  health  services  and  provisioning  of  fr ee  treatment  for  mental illnesses at District and Sub - District levels, 655 districts of the country have b supported under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) of the Nationa Health Mission.

With  the  objective  to  address  the  shortage  of  qualif ied  mental  health professionals in the country, the Government, under the National Mental He Programme (NMHP) is also implementing Manpower Development Schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and Strengthening/ Establishment of GraduateDepartments  in  mental  health  specialties.  Till  date,  support  has provided  for  establishment  of  25  Centres  of  Excellence  and  strengthen establishment of 47 Post Graduate Departments in mental health specialties country.In  addition  to  the  M anpower  Development  Scheme  of  NMHP,  t he Government  is  also  augmenting  the  availability  of  manpower  to  deliver  men healthcare  services  in  the  underserved  areas  of  the  country  by  providing training  courses  to  various  healthcare  service  providers  li ke  medical  officers, psychologists,  social  workers  and  nurses  to  deliver  quality  mental  heal services throughout the country ,through the Digital Academies established at the three C entral Mental Health Institutes. H ealthcare workers are trained by w ay of virtual learning through the Digital Academy and 4493 professionals have enr under the Digital Academy in the three Central Mental Health Institutes.

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