Madhya Pradesh ill-equipped to handle patients with mental illness

The unveiling of the first-ever mental health policy by the Centre has put a spotlight on the ill-equipped health apparatus in MP to handle such patients. The state is facing acute shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses, say officials.

Updated on: Oct 21, 2014, 18:42:34 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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The unveiling of the first-ever mental health policy by the Union government early this month has also put a spotlight on the ill-equipped health apparatus in Madhya Pradesh to handle such patients.

The state, which, according to an official estimate, is home to about 40 lakh people suffering from some kind of mental illness and 7-14 lakh with severe mental disorders, has just about a dozen psychiatrists in government hospitals. Officials say MP is facing acute shortage of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses.

"We don't have much here in the name of mental healthcare," says Dr RN Sahu, secretary of State Mental Health Authority. "(We have) around dozen psychiatrists in the government hospitals and over a few dozen in the private sector, which is grossly insufficient for a populous state like MP."

Sahu is also a professor and head of the department at psychiatrist wing at Gandhi Medical College and Associated Hospitals, Bhopal. The State Mental Health Authority, constituted as per the provisions of Mental Health Act, 1987, is a statutory body entrusted with the task of development, regulation and coordination of mental health services in the state.

As per the Authority's norms, there should be one psychiatrist for every 1,00,000 people, 3 clinical psychologists for every 2,00,000 people, 2 psychiatric social workers for every 1,00,000 people and one psychiatric nurse for every 10 psychiatric beds. But, actual numbers stand nowhere close to it.

The Centre's new policy stresses on a higher number of mental health professionals from community-based counsellors to specialised psychiatrists. Madhya Pradesh is also battling with the lack of enough mental healthcare institutions and systematic budgetary support.

There are just two psychiatric hospitals in the state - Manasik Arogyasala at Gwalior and psychiatric hospital, Indore. But, sources said, these institutions don't have basic infrastructure and technology to deal with the challenge of testing and treating varied mental disorders.

A senior official in the health department, requesting anonymity, said mental healthcare was not a priority for the state government. "Irrespective of the policy the basic thing is, unless you provide funds for basic infrastructure and required technology, you cannot make any difference on ground," the official said.

The problem is further aggravated by the fact that of six government medical colleges, only the one at Indore offers postgraduate course in psychiatry, and that too just two seats.

"If government is serious about mental healthcare, it has to start courses in psychiatry in all government medical collages. It also has to start courses in clinical psychology, psychiatric social work, psychiatric nursing and occupational therapy in various institutions," said Dr Sahu.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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