Inaugurated with much fanfare by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last year, the State government’s mental health programme is not exactly in the pink of health.
The programme includes Mano Chaitanya and Manasadhara schemes to provide free treatment, counselling, rehabilitation and medicines to people with mental disorders. These have not been successful because of delay in release of funds and lack of qualified medical personnel.
Although nearly 12 per cent of the population in Karnataka is suffering from one form or other of mental disability and require rehabilitation, there are less than 300 psychiatrists (both in the private and government sector) to attend to them. The District Health Officers (DHOs), who are handling cases of mental disability, are not able to take it forward as they are not trained in the field.
With only 48 government psychiatrists, the Health Department has also hired the services of private psychiatrists. But, in the absence of a decent honorarium and conveyance allowance, the response is poor.
Sources said of the 18 Manasadhara centres, at least nine have closed down because there are no qualified doctors to run them. In most of the remaining centres, there are very few patients. This is either because the staff is not paid or because not many are interested in availing the services at the daycare centres.
A concerned Karnataka State Mental Health Task Force has now recommended that the government involve members of the Indian Psychiatry Society in implementing the schemes. Asking for additional grants of Rs. 5 crore, the task force has also recommended that private psychiatrists should be paid Rs. 1,000 per visit and Rs. 5 for every kilometre they travel.
Task Force chairperson K.A. Ashok Pai told The Hindu that these issues were discussed at a recent review meeting. A decision to ensure that all the DHOs undergo an orientation and training programme has also been taken so that the DHOs can run the show wherever required, he said.
Wherever possible, the daycare centres should be converted into residential care centres as it would help patients get the required services for a prolonged time.
“However, there is apprehension that residential centres may turn into dumping grounds for people with mental disabilities, by their familie. This is not so as rules do not permit any person to be put up in a centre for more than three weeks,” Dr. Pai said. Health Minister U.T. Khader, who admitted that there are problems in implementing the schemes, said action was being taken to resolve the issues.
