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The Union Health and Family Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has said that he would seek a higher outlay for mental health during the mid term review of the Xth Five Year plan. Speaking after releasing a book on “Mental Health : An Indian Perspective” in New Delhi today the Minister pointed out that this area has remained in the shadows, marginalized and deprioritised, not only with regard to financial allocation but also conceptually.
The Minister exhorted the experts present to enhance private participation in this sector. He said while in hospital care in general, private expenditure exceeds public expenditure, in mental heath care the participation of the private sector needs to be enhanced .The Minister said that 10 million people in India suffer from major mental disorders while the number of doctors is as few as around 3600. The Minister underlined that the thrust areas in the Xth Five year plan would be on awareness generation and upgrading infrastructure of mental hospitals. Attention would also be given to this subject in medical education.. The aim was to make mental heath treatment community based and integrate it with primary health care.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Health, Smt. P.Lakshmi pointed out that availability of services notwithstanding; there are many social and psychological hurdles in the way. Stigmatization of the mentally ill, gender disparities in access to medical aid and violation of their human rights represent a huge hidden burden. She stressed the need for Information, Education and Communication initiatives to address the complex problems.
The book released by the Union Health minister, on the occasion of Mental Health Day today traces the early years of mental health care in India, the National Mental Health programme launched in 1982 and the subsequent reorientation given to it .The book edited and compiled by the Director General of Health services, Dr. S.P. Aggarwal also discusses the present challenges in psychiatric rehabilitation in the country and issues related to the needs of special groups such as children, women and the elderly.
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