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 6TH DECEMBER, 2019
(a) to (d): The Government conducted the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of India through the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore in 2016 as per which the prevalence of mental disorders in adults over the age of 18 years is about 10.6%. As per this survey, there was at least one mental health hospital in all the 12 surveyed States, except in Manipur; all states had medical colleges with a psychiatry department, general hospitals with a psychiatry unit and a few had de-addiction centres. Apart from the major mental health facilities, there were 450 mobile mental units and 249 de-addiction centres providing mental health services in the surveyed States. However, as per the Survey, the existing facilities had inter-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 Central Government supplements the efforts of State Governments. As per available information, there are 41 mental health hospitals run by State Governments and Union Territories that provide mental healthcare services in the country. Central Government is also running three Mental Health Institutions, viz. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi and Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam. With a view to further increase mental healthcare facilities in the country, Department of Psychiatry has been set up in each of the 6 newly established All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and similar provision has been made in the upcoming 15 new AIIMS. Similarly, many other Central as well as State Government hospitals also have Psychiatry Departments. Further, to strengthen mental health services and provisioning of free treatment for mental illnesses at District and Sub-District levels, 655 districts of the country have been supported under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) of the National Health Mission.
With the objective to address the shortage of qualified mental health professionals in the country, the Government, under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) is also implementing Manpower Development Schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and Strengthening/ Establishment of Post Graduate Departments in mental health specialties. Till date, support has been provided for establishment of 25 Centres of Excellence and strengthening/ establishment of 47 Post Graduate Departments in mental health specialties in the country. In addition to the Manpower Development Scheme of NMHP, the Government is also augmenting the availability of manpower to deliver mental healthcare services in the underserved areas of the country by providing online training courses to various healthcare service providers like medical officers, psychologists, social workers and nurses to deliver quality mental healthcare services throughout the country, through the Digital Academies established at the three Central Mental Health Institutes. Healthcare workers are trained by way of virtual learning through the Digital Academy and 4493 professionals have enrolled under the Digital Academy in the three Central Mental Health Institutes.
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