Lok Sabha Question No. 1016 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-22
Subject: Mental Hospitals
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ramcharan Bohra

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1016 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  JULY, 2022

## MENTAL HOSPITALS

## 1016.   SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA:

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

- (a) the estimated number of patients suffering from mental diseases in the country;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any assessment in this regard and if so, the details thereof along with the outcome thereof;
- (c) whether there is a lack of mental hospitals in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment in respect of States where there is no mental health hospitals and if so, the State/UT-wise details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the corrective steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a)  &  (b):  As  per  the  National  Mental  Health  Survey  (NMHS)  2016,  conducted  by  the Government  through  National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and  Neuro  Sciences  (NIMHANS), Bengaluru in 12 States of the country, the prevalence of mental disorders in adults over the age of 18 years is about 10.6%.

(c)  to  (e):  The  Mental  Healthcare Act,  2017 provides for integration of mental health services into  general  healthcare  services  at  all  levels  of  healthcare  including  primary,  secondary  and tertiary healthcare and in all health programmes run by the appropriate Government. As such, the mental healthcare services are extended through various levels of healthcare delivery systems.

As per the available information, there are 47 Government run mental hospitals in the country, including  3  Central  Mental  Health  Institutions,  viz.  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.  Department of Psychiatry has also been set up in each of the newly established All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and similar  provision  has  been  made  in  the  new  AIIMS.  Similarly,  many  other  Central  as  well  as State Government hospitals also have Psychiatry Departments.

In  addition  to  the  above,  steps  have  also  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  strengthen  mental healthcare services at the primary healthcare level. Mental healthcare services have been added in the package of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care under Ayushman Bharat HW Scheme.  Operational  guidelines  on  Mental,  Neurological,  and  Substance  Use  Disorders (MNS) at Health and Wellness Centers (HWC) have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

Further,  to  provide  affordable  and  accessible  mental  healthcare  facilities  to  the  population, including the poor and underprivileged, the Government is implementing National Mental Health Programme  (NMHP)  in  the  country.    The  District  Mental  Health  Programme  (DMHP) component  of  the  NMHP  has  been  sanctioned  for  implementation  in  704  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,  care  and support  to  persons  with  severe  mental  disorders,  drugs,  outreach  services,  ambulance  services etc.  In  addition  to  above  services  there  is  a  provision  of  10  bedded  in-patient  facility  at  the District level.

Besides the above, the Government has announced a 'National Tele Mental Health Programme' in the Budget of 2022-23, to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country.

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