The Union Health Ministry has launched Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS), a 24*7 tele-mental service. The service will begin with 20 states and UTs and will subsequently be expanded to the whole country.
The program was first announced in the 2022-23 Budget while acknowledging the mental health crisis in the wake covid-19 epidemic. “Good mental health with Tele MANAS! PM @NarendraModi Ji’s Govt launches ‘Tele Mental Health Assistance & Networking Across States’ to provide all access to affordable mental health care in every State/UT. It will serve as the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme,” Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.
Good mental health with Tele MANAS!
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) October 10, 2022
PM @NarendraModi Ji's Govt launches 'Tele Mental Health Assistance & Networking Across States' to provide all access to affordable mental health care in every State/UT.
It will serve as the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme. pic.twitter.com/QtrSImKyAd
24*7 Tele Mental Health Service: Significance
- Tele-MANAS strives to increase access to mental healthcare in the whole country including the hard-to-reach areas.
- The nationwide network will provide counselling, consultation with a specialist, and e-prescriptions.
- The program aims to provide integrated medical and psychosocial interventions.
24*7 Tele Mental Health Service: Key details
- Callers will be able to access the service by calling the helpline numbers 14416 and 1-800-91-4416.
- People will first reach an IVRS and then be transferred to a trained counsellor in their areas. If required, they will be connected online to mental health specialists such as clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers, a psychiatric nurse, or a psychiatrist.
- In case the person needs in-person services, they will be referred to a health and wellness centre or primary health centre, or tertiary care centre.
- The centre for Tele MANAS, which will be the digital arm of the National Mental Health Programme, will be the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS) with technological support from IIT-Bombay.
- There will be five regional coordination centres and 23 mentoring institutes including AIIMS, PGIMER, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences Delhi.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day was celebrated for the first time on October 10, 1992. Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter took the initiative to celebrate this day. Until 1994, the aim to celebrate the day was to promote mental health advocacy and educate the public. Thousands of supporters come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring notice to mental illness and its major effects on people’s lives globally.
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