World Mental Health Day: Centre launches ‘Tele Manas’ to provide affordable services

The mental health programme along with a toll-free helpline number - 14416 - were virtually launched by Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru.

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day on Monday, the government launched ‘Tele MANAS’ - an on-call mental health assistance facility and networking system across states.

Union health minister said the initiative will be useful in extending services to vulnerable groups and people in the remote regions.

Aimed at providing access to affordable mental healthcare assistance, the government said ‘Tele Manas’ will work as the digital arm of the ‘District Mental Health Programme’.

The mental health programme along with a toll-free helpline number - 14416 - were virtually launched by Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. People can also reach the service by dialling 1-800-891-4416.

Taking to Twitter, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the initiative will provide an “integrated medical and psychological intervention” and will scale up the reach of efforts of the government in this direction.

“Good mental health with Tele MANAS! PM Narendra Modi Ji's Govt launches 'Tele Mental Health Assistance & Networking Across States' to provide all access to affordable mental health care in every State/UT. It will serve as the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme," his tweet read.

Mandaviya also said the initiative - announced earlier in the Union budget - will be useful in extending services to vulnerable groups and people in the remote regions. The programme will be an integration of all systems that provide mental healthcare. It will rope in mental health experts, government’s free telemedicine service eSanjeevni, Ayushman Bharat’s health and wellness centres, and emergency psychiatric facilities with NIMHANS as its nodal centre.

IIT Bombay has been made a partner for providing technical support to the programme which will have five regional coordinating centres, 23 mentoring institutes, and 51 state/UT tele Manas cells to build a comprehensive network.

(With agency inputs)