Ministry to push for threefold increase in mental health budget

28-Nov-2012

Centre for Public Health inaugurated on NIMHANS campus

BANGALORE : The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare plans to push for a threefold increase in the mental health budget in the 12th Five-Year Plan.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Centre for Public Health, and a symposium titled ‘Public health priorities in mental, neurological and substance use disorders and injuries’, Sujaya Krishnan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said the department had allocated Rs. 623 crore for mental health in the 11th Five-Year Plan and she hoped for at least a threefold increase in the mental health budget in the next one.

Explaining the need for an increased budget, Ms. Krishnan stated that the number of mental health professionals in the country was inadequate. There was a “severe” shortage of mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists and nurses, she said. “There is a huge gap between the number of people required and the number of people available. Data indicates that there is a 66 per cent shortage of human resources in the mental health [sector],” she said.

In this scenario, she said, there was a need for the Medical Education Department and Health Department to work together. “Medical colleges come under the purview of the Medical Education Department that need to look into the existing curriculum and lay emphasis on mental health so that we will have more trained professionals who can treat people with mental disorders.”

Talking about the District Mental Health Programme, which decentralises mental healthcare in the community using various health professionals, she said the Health Ministry would aim to expand it from the current 123 districts across the country to all districts, in a phased manner.

Shekhar Saxena, Director, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, also emphasised the need to increase the mental health budget. While mental disorders made up 13 per cent of the global diseases, the spending on it was less than 3 per cent, he said.

However, an increase in budget alone was not enough, he said. “One of the things that the State governments need to do is to make mental healthcare services available in primary health centres,” he mentioned. Speaking on the Mental Health Care Bill 2012, which is expected to be tabled in the Parliament soon, Ms. Krishnan said it was a “progressive” Bill.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/ministry-to-push-for-threefold-increase-in-mental-health-budget/article4141029.ece

 

 

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Mental healthcare sector cries for funds

28-Nov-2012

With a serious shortfall in funding for the treatment of mental illnesses in the country, an expert has called for an increase in the health budget.

BANGALORE: Dr Shekhar Saxena, director of the department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organisation (WHO), said India currently spent only three per cent of the total health budget to treat mental illnesses, while many developing countries allocate more than 13 per cent for the purpose.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Centre for Public Health and a symposium on ‘public health priorities in mental, neurological and substance abuse (MNS) disorders and injuries’ on Tuesday, Saxena said the burden of mental disease was higher in developing countries than in developed countries.

“The priority now will be to set up more designated centres at public health centres in collaboration with the WHO to cater to the mental health challenges in society and the country at large,” he said.

According to statistics compiled by the WHO, one in four people worldwide suffer from mental health issues, including those stemming from neurological and substance abuse.

The numbers are significantly larger than sufferers of any other common disease in the world. Saxena said cases of depression among women between the age of 15 and 44 were more than maternal deaths, which normally receive greater attention.

“Some 62 per cent of psychiatric beds in the world are still located in mental hospitals, which stigmatises the patient rather than having a community approach to treat mental health problems,” Saxena said and added that there was a severe shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists and nurses to treat the growing number of mental health patients.

Sujaya Krishnan, joint secretary to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said as Nimhans had established a centre for public health, the institute had a large role to play in addressing mental health issues.

“We are expecting a three-fold increase in the budgetary allocation for the health sector in 12th Five Year Plan,” she said.

Dr G Gururaj, professor and head of Epidemiology, who would be heading the new centre for public health, said it would focus on the neglected mental health issues. “Nimhans is planning to take up one district (as yet undecided) for their pilot project to study mental health issues. The approach of the programme will be different from the National Mental Health Programme,” he said.

Gururaj said Nimhans would also introduce a two-year MPH (Master of Public Health) course to empower the mental health programme.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/294882/mental-healthcare-sector-cries-funds.html

 

 

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