Tele-MANAS initiative launched from time to time of World Mental Health day

Acknowledging the psychological well being disaster in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and an pressing want to ascertain a digital psychological well being community that can stand up to the challenges amplified by the pandemic, Government of India introduced National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) within the Union Budget 2022-23. Tele-MANAS goals to supply free tele-mental well being companies everywhere in the nation around the clock, notably catering to folks in distant or under-served areas. 

The programme features a community of 23 tele-mental well being centres of excellence, with NIMHANS being the nodal centre and International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) offering expertise help. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bengaluru and National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHRSC) will present the technical help.

The Union authorities goals to open no less than one Tele-MANAS Cell in every State/UT.

“A toll-free, 24×7 helpline quantity (14416) has been arrange throughout the nation permitting callers to pick the language of selection for availing companies. The calls could be routed to Tele-MANAS cells within the respective state and Union territory,” a statement from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

“Tele-MANAS will be organised in two tier systems; Tier 1 comprises State Tele-MANAS cells which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists. Tier 2 will comprise specialists at the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio-visual consultation. Specialised care is being envisioned through the programme by linking Tele-MANAS with other services like National tele-consultation service, e-Sanjeevani, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, mental health professionals, Ayushman Bharat health and wellness centres and emergency psychiatric facilities. NIMHANS has conducted training for 900 Tele MANAS counsellors from the majority of states/UTs,” the assertion additional mentioned.

The mentoring institutes are AIIMS, Patna, AIIMS Raipur, CIP Ranchi, AIIMS Bhopal, AIIMS Kalyani, AIIMS Bhubaneshwar, PGIMER, Chandigarh, Hospital for Mental Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Inst. of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour Bambolim Goa, AIIMS, Nagpur, AIIMS, Jodhpur, KGMU Lucknow, AIIMS Rishikesh, IHBAS, Delhi, IGMS, Shimla, Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Govt. Medical College, Srinagar, LGBRIMH, Tezpur, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, IMHANS, Kozhikode, Kerala, IMH, Chennai, IMH, Hyderabad, JIPMER and AIIMS, Mangalagiri.

There are a lot of states and UTs that can launch the programme which incorporates Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.