(a) whether a number of persons are suffering from psychiatric disorders due to lack of medical facilities and medicines ;
(b) if so, the State-wise details thereof;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to provide medical facilities and medicines to such patients; and
(d) the extent of success achieved by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a)and(b): It is estimated that about 5% of the population suffers from various psychological disorders such as depression, neurotic, stress related and adjustment disorders. About 1% of the population suffers from a serious mental disorder such as psychotic disorders and 0.5% of the population may be in need of active treatment for a serious mental disorder. However, data relating to the number of persons suffering from mental illness, state-wise is not centrally maintained.
(c)&(d): The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments in promoting mental health care. Efforts of the Government now are to diagnose the mentally ill patients at the early stage and treat them through the general health care delivery system. Adequate medical facilities are available to treat the mentally ill patients. In order to provide increased access and better quality of mental health care, the Goevrnment`s National Mental Health Programme during the Tenth Five-Year Plan envisages to expand District Mental Health Programme to cover 100 districts in the country, strengthen the 37 Government mental health institutes and also psychiatric wings of 75 medical colleges, undertake IEC activities and research and training. So far 94 districts have been covered under the District Mental Health Programme; funds have been released for upgradation of psychiatric wings of 9 medical colleges and strengthening of one mental health institute. Further, funds have also been released for undertaking research and I.E.C. activities.