CoE Tag For Mental Hospital Remains A Distant Dream

INDORE: Proposal for converting hospital for mental health, Banganga into centre of excellence with fund of Rs30 crore has been stuck for last three years.

This happened despite Union government sanctioning conversion of the hospital into centre of excellence in 2016 on partnership with state government.

The Centre even released around Rs6 crore for upgrade of facility to Mahatama Gandhi Memorial Medical College. Hospital for mental health, Banganga is one of the two hospitals of its kind in state. The other one is Hospital for Mental Health in Gwalior.

“We have submitted a proposal for hospital’s conversion into centre of excellence to state government through dean office of MGM. But, it has been pending for over three years,” mental hospital superintendent Dr Ramghulam Razdan.

The Centre had decided to convert around two dozen hospitals for mental health in centre of excellence on partnership with respective state governments to match global standards for treating mental illness.

The decision was taken after National mental health survey 2015-16 revealed only 10-12% people suffering from depression get treatment.

The survey also recommended that government should strengthen and implement mental health policies and programmes.

The Union government under New Mental health programme (NMHP) decided for upgrading of psychiatry wings of government medical colleges and modernisation of state mental hospitals.

To do this under the national programme, setting up centres of excellence and strengthening PG training departments of mental health will be major steps towards achieving these components. The records of the hospital will also be digitised to be used for academic and clinical purposes after conversion.

MGM Dean Dr Jyoti Bindal, when asked about this project she said, “DME’s project implementation committee has approved conversion of hospital for mental hospital into centre of excellence with Rs30 crore.” Now, this project will go to state cabinet for approval, added Bindal.

Mental Healthcare Act 2017 promises people living with mental health conditions the right to access mental health care, the right to confidentiality and protection from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.-Times Of India