NIMHANS to provide mental illness care

The Health and Family Welfare Department signed two MOUs, one with the NIMHANS, Bengaluru and another with the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, New- Delhi to provide  mental illness treatment and de-addiction care by them, respectively.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena.

As per the MoU, the NIMHANS would enhance capacity building of Medical Officers for mental illness and provide basic emergency psychiatric care and follow up care at healthcare facilities through 4G phones/ipads/laptops. The model of HUB and SPOKE would be followed. The NIMHANS will act as HUB and districts as Spokes for one year.

The purpose of the second MOU with the NDDTC is to upgrade nine de-addiction centres operational at the three medical college and hospitals (SCBMCH, MKCG MCH, VIMSAR), Capital Hospital, RGH Rourkela and District Headquarters Hospitals at Angul, Puri, Balangir and Mayurbhan within the existing infrastructure.

DMHP Psychiatric Specialists, Trained MOs, Clinical Psychiatric /PSWs/ others will be given training and hand holding support on fixed days in collaboration with National drug NDDTC.   

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Jena said establishment of the Center of Excellence for Mental Health at the SCB Medical College with 100 per cent financial assistance from State Government is an example of the keenness and sincerity of the State Government to address the mental health problems in the State.

He said the Centre of Excellence would provide high class diagnostic and treatment to mental health patients referred from all over the State Health and Family Welfare Secretary Dr Pramod  kumar Meherda, DHS Dr BK Brahma, NIMAHNS Psychiatric Department HOD Prof Santosh Chaturbedi and AIIMS Psychiatric HOD Prof Rakish Chadha signed the MOUs.