The new government is giving much attention to mental health as different forms of disorders are on the rise due to varied reasons, hence the primary focus is to improve the existing facilities. And in that regard there is a proposal to upgrade the Government Hospital for Mental Care (GHMC) in Visakhapatnam to the level of NIMHANS, Bangalore, according to Director of Medical Education G. Santa Rao. He was delivering the keynote address at the inauguration of World Mental Health Week at GHMC here on Sunday. He said that there were plans to upgrade GHMC into a premier research institute.
The World Mental Health Week will end on October 10 with the observance of World Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme as per World Federation of Mental Health is ‘Living with Schizophrenia’. The week is being observed at GHMC in association with Visakha Psychiatric Society.
On up-gradation, Dr. Santa Rao, said that immediate attention would be paid to set up sub-clinical speciality counselling centres for various groups such as children, college students, adolescents, married couple, and older people.
SchizophreniaTalking of schizophrenia, Dr. Santa Rao said that the disease could be due to a number of factors such as genetic, behavioural disorder, psycho-social factors. GHMC Superintendent N.N. Raju said that the disease was curable, if detected early through proper medication and psychological counselling.
He pointed out that globally and in India, the prevalence rate was 1 per cent, and the risk groups were generally the persons who have a family history of schizophrenia, children who are subject to child abuse, drug users and adolescents. “The initial symptoms are normally seen in the age group of 13-17 years,” said Prof. Raju.
G.V.S. Murthy from Visakha Psychiatric Society said that mental health care was set for a sea change with the passage of the Mental Health Care Bill and Policy in Parliament.
He pointed out the schizophrenic patients can be brought back to mainstream through counselling and medication, but the stigma should go and family members should know how to cope with persons with this disorder.
