E-Paper
Audit reveals staff crunch at Chandigarh’s Mental Health Institute
As per an audit report, Chandigarh’s Mental Health Institute has a shortage of 54 officers/employees in different cadres as of March 2023, which has affected its smooth functioning
The Mental Health Institute (MHI) in Sector 32 is grappling with staff shortage and low occupancy in its Half Way Home (HWH), along with other irregularities. The issues were revealed by an audit report obtained through an RTI filed by an activist. The report highlights as many as 54 vacant positions.
A review of records at the institute revealed that only one of the total two sanctioned deputy medical superintendent positions, only one is filled on a contract basis. Additionally, all four sanctioned psychiatrist positions also lie vacant, though efforts are underway to fill one of these posts on a contract basis.
The first audit of the MHI was carried out by the field audit team from the Office of the director general of audit (DGA) central, Chandigarh, in August 2023. This audit covered the period from 2018 to 2023.
Starting Disability Assessment Rehabilitation and Triage (DART) services on December 31, 2012, the MHI provides specialised, non-pharmaceutical support for patients with mental disorders.
These patients, having recovered from acute illnesses, still face significant challenges in social, cognitive, and vocational skills.
In February 2017, patient rehabilitation services were started initially in the DART building but later shifted to the MHI. The idea was to nurture skilled human resources.
Currently, the institute has 40 beds for rehabilitation, also used as teaching beds by department of psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH-32).
The audit highlighted many areas, including irregularities in purchases, disposal of articles, deficiency in maintenance of records, compliance of government rules, if any, etc.
As per the report, MHI has a shortage of 54 officers/employees in different cadres as of March 2023, which has affected its smooth functioning. An audit observation was issued to the institute, but no reply was furnished and is still awaited.
As per sources, the institute has written to the director principal of GMCH-32 to fill the vacancies.
Low occupancy in Half Way Home
HWH was set up in the DART Building under the administrative supervision of the MHI in February 2020. Operation of the home restarted again in October 2020 after the pandemic-induced lockdown with 10 beds for intake of male as well as female patients.
During the test check of records pertaining to the operations of the home, it was noticed that the occupancy ratio against the bed capacity was very low, between 10.82% and 40.15%.
The audit highlighted that institute had not initiated any public awareness programme/advertisement to make the public aware about the facility in the city, and an awareness campaign was the need of the hour, so that more and more needy patients may utilise the facility and so that the intended purpose of setting up of a half-way home may be achieved.
The report further added that as per the standard operation procedure, three monthly random inspections/audits must be done by an external team to avoid lapses and improve services. The audit observation was issued to the institute, and a reply is awaited.
Dr Ajeet Sidana, a professor in the department of psychiatry who also oversees the institute, explained, “The delay in appointments is due to changes in central services rules.”
He also noted that, due to the age of the DART building, patients have been moved to the MHI building, where currently 6 to 7 patients are occupying 10 available beds and the low occupancy issue has been resolved.
