Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate three new blocks — Academic Block, De-Addiction and Child Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry — at the Government Hospital for Mental Care (GHMC) at China Waltair on August 1.
GHMC is the only dedicated hospital for mental care in the public sector in Andhra Pradesh,
The new buildings have been constructed at a cost of around ₹30 crore with 60% of the funds sanctioned by the Central government and 40% by the State government under the National Mental Health Programme. Though the construction of the buildings was launched in 2017, it was resumed only during the last couple of years and has been completed recently.
A super-specialty department in ‘Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’ was sanctioned to the hospital earlier this year. This would be shifted to the new Academic Block after its inauguration. An exclusive ‘Telemanas’ room is being opened at the hospital, which would have doctors and postgraduates to provide telecounselling for those going through depression or experiencing suicidal tendencies.
“A Manovikas Rehabilitation Centre is being opened at the hospital for the education of patients and their family members through screening of films on different subjects. The training of family members of those addicted to drugs plays a vital role in the rehabilitation of patients,” Dr. KV Rami Reddy, GHMC Superintendent, told The Hindu on Monday.
An e-hospital registration cell was opened at the GHMC recently which would generate a unique hospital ID (UHID) and would collate details of all patients coming for treatment. All the details pertaining to the patient and their treatment and would be computerised and stored, which can be accessed through the UHID.
Similarly, an ‘e-pharmacy’ has been opened in which the drug stock, the quantity used, and the remaining stock have to be entered in the portal. This ensures proper use of drugs. The computerisation also helps in overcoming difficulties in deciphering the handwriting of doctors while prescribing the drugs.
Meanwhile, the OST Centre (Opioid Substitution Therapy Centre) for treatment of ‘injection drug users’ and ‘opioid dependents’, which was opened in January 2020, had total registrations of 240 so far. Around 70 patients stopped using drugs. The centre is under the control of Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi, Nodal Officer and HOD of Psychiatry, and Dr. R. Sravya, Medical Officer.
