J&K launches India’s first chatbot for people in mental distress

Tele-MANAS chatbot, which will start an instant conversation with people in distress, was launched in J&K on July 5. The initiative will ensure round-the-clock services for health counsellors, clinical psychologists and consultants

Published - July 06, 2023 09:09 am IST - SRINAGAR

Tele-MANAS chatbot, which will start an instant conversation with people in distress, was launched in J&K on July 5

Tele-MANAS chatbot, which will start an instant conversation with people in distress, was launched in J&K on July 5 | Photo Credit: NISSAR AHMAD

India’s first Tele-MANAS chatbot, which will start an instant conversation with people in distress, was launched in J&K on July 5. This year Kashmir saw the highest number of distress calls to the Tele-Manas centre.

Round the clock service

“The initiative will ensure the availability of health counsellors, clinical psychologists and consultants round-the-clock,” J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who inaugurated the ‘J&K Health Conclave’ on Mental Health and Non-Communicable Diseases at Srinagar, said.

The Lt. Governor commended the efforts of the health department to deliberate on the most challenging health issues and to generate awareness on mental health and life-threatening non-communicable diseases.

“The new landmark initiatives launched today are testimony to the commitment of the J&K administration to provide quality, affordable and accessible healthcare services to all,” the L-G said.

MoU with NIMHANS

J&K Health and Medical Education Department has two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and NIMHANS.

“The MoU will provide significant technical support to improve cancer care services in the UT and help us to establish Preventive Oncology Service, Day Care Centers and Palliative Care Service at District Hospitals,” he said.

NIMHANS, Bengaluru, has been tasked to improve mental health services, training and capacity building of medical officers and nursing staff.

In the six months after the launch of Tele-MANAS in Kashmir, the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Srinagar, received 10,500 calls from people in distress across Jammu and Kashmir’. Toll-free numbers are 14416 and 1800-891-4416.

The Lt. Governor said per capita spending on the health sector in J&K is among the highest in the country. “During upgradation or building of new infrastructure, we have focused on three factors- effectiveness, accessibility and resilient systems,” the Lt. Governor said.

The Lt. Governor inaugurated 44 healthcare facilities worth ₹56.18 Cr to strengthen the medical infrastructure in J&K.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.