Government launches National Mental Health Policy

NEW DELHI: The first ever National Mental Health Policy was launched today in an attempt to provide universal psychiatry care to the population, 20 per cent of which are likely to suffer some form of mental illness by 2020.

The policy, unveiled by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, seeks to include mental treatment at primary health care at a time when India is estimated to have only about 3,500 psychiatrists and over 50 per cent of the mentally ill have no access to health care.

"We want a nation that upholds the human rights of mental patients," Vardhan said, adding mental health care would find articulation in the evolving National Health Policy and National Health Assurance Mission (NHAM).

As part of the Ministry's efforts to boost mental health care, many hospitals dedicated to curing mental illness would be upgraded to Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, the country's foremost such institute.

Vardhan also called for de-criminalising attempt to suicide, which is presently a crime, saying people often having mental trouble attempt to take the extreme step and need human care not prosecution.

A recent WHO report had said that India sees largest numbers of suicides globally and in the 15-29 years age group, it has the highest suicide rate.

The Centre will allocate funds to all hospitals in the country to enable them to open departments for treating patients in need of psychological and psychiatric health care and help those which want to upgrade their mental health care facilities.