Lok Sabha Question No. 2504 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-11
Subject: Mental Health Policy
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SONA RAM CHOUDHARY, KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2504

## TH

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 MARCH, 2016 MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

## 2504. COL. SONARAM CHOUDHARY: SHRI KONDA VISHWESHWAR REDDY:

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

- (a) the salient features of the mental health policy;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes to  increase  funding  and  budgetary  allocation towards mental health in India, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes to  make  mental  health  facilities  and  services more accessible to vulnerable groups, if so the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to provide affordable care to mentalillness?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a): The National Mental Health Policy, announced in October, 2014, is based, inter - alia, on the  values  and  principles  of  equity,  justice,  integrated  and  evidence  base d  care,  quality, participatory and  holistic  approach  to  mental  health.  Its  goals  and  objectives  include following:
- to  reduce  distress,  disability,  exclusion,  morbidity  and  premature  mortality  ass with mental health problems across life - span of a person,
- to enhance understanding of mental health in the country,
- to provide universal access to mental health care,
- to increase access to mental health services for vulnerable groups,
- to reduce risk and incidence of suicide and attempted suicide,
- to  ensure  respect  for  rights  and  protection  from  harm  of  persons  with  mental  h problems, and reduce stigma associated with mental health problems
- to enhance availability and distribution of skilled human resources for mental healt

(b) to (d): The  Government  has  approved  the  continued  implementation  of  the  National Mental Health Programme during the 12 th Five Year Plan period with additional components. The financial support for establishment of each Centre of Excellence in the field of ment alth has been increased from Rs. 30 crores to Rs. 33.70 crores per Centre.

With the objective to address the shortage of mental health professionals in the c 15 Centres of Excellence in Mental Health and 35 PG training departments in mental he specialties to increase the PG training capacity in mental health as well as improving th care treatment facility have been funded.

During the current Plan period, the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) has bee extended to 118 new district s in addition to the 123 districts of the 11 th Five Year Plan period. Under  DMHP,  enhanced  financial  assistance  is  being  provided  to  the  districts  for  dete management and treatment of mental disorders/ illness and additional components like su prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counselling i and colleges, etc. Financial support has been increased from Rs. 46.37 lakhs to Rs. 83.7 per district per year.

Sufficient  financial  assistance  is  als o  provided  to  the  three  Central  Institutions  viz. National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  And  Neuro  Sciences,  Bangalore,  Lokopriya  Gopina Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur and Central Institute of Psychiatry,