Yerawada Regional Mental Hospital starts free ambulance drop service for discharged patients

So far, the hospital has successfully assisted 137 patients — 103 male and 34 female from 17 wards of RMH

The Regional Mental Hospital (RMH), Yerawada, has started providing free ambulance services to transport discharged patients safely to their respective homes, officials said on Monday.

According to the officials, previously, the patients were taken home by their family members or guardians. However, many patients who have recovered and are ready for discharge are often not accepted back by their families. (HT FILE)

The service was started in April this year and operates every Saturday, with around 7 to 8 patients being dropped off at home each week. So far, the hospital has successfully assisted 137 patients — 103 male and 34 female from 17 wards of RMH.

According to the officials, previously, the patients were taken home by their family members or guardians. However, many patients who have recovered and are ready for discharge are often not accepted back by their families. To address this sensitive issue, the hospital has now arranged for a dedicated ambulance, nurse, driver, and attendant to accompany such patients to their homes, they said.

The beneficiaries of the service were from several districts, including Ahmednagar, Solapur, Sangli, Pune, Kolhapur, Nashik, Jalna, Hingoli, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among others.

“The initiative was approved by the Mental Health Review Board (MHRB) and aims to ensure the safe and dignified reintegration of patients into society,” said Dr Srinivas Kolod, Medical Superintendent of RMH.

“Families who don’t come and take their patients accept them when sent by us. Some relatives even request us to provide the service,” he said.