We were instructed in meeting convened in the office chamber of the Secretary Health and Family Welfare on 30-9-2015 and were instructed to furnish a brief report on the status of National Mental Health Program implemented in the state of Assam. We are furnishing herewith a report for your scrutiny and necessary inputs.
It was identified that approximately 6 percent of general population suffer from neuropsychological problem requiring medical care. An analysis has indicated that the incidence will increase to 15 percent by 2020.This population is scattered all over the state and the health care services must reach to the grassroots to cover this population.
Eight districts are already covered in the state of Assam namely Nogaon, Goalpara, , Tinsukia, Darang , Nalbari , Morigaon, Karbi Along, Karimgang, All the centers are located in the district civil hospital. Human Resource (Staff categories per centre)- Psychiatrist (1), Clinical Psychologist (3)Psychiatrist-Social Worker(i),Nurse (DPN qualification or trained on mental health) (4), Case registrar. All staff has been recruited and are in place. Outdoor registration and examination patients have been started . Indoor ward has been constructed /renovated with a capacity for thirty, patients. Training program for general physicians for detection and treatment of some minor mental programs has been initiated in these civil hospitals.
Anti psychiatric medicines are supplied to these hospitals.
The colleges included are Gauhati Medical College, Assam Medical College, Silchar Medical College
The psychiatry ward has been renovated and the capacity indoor patients have been increased. Post graduate courses on Psychiatry are going on.
The institute is renovated and Post graduate courses have been started. There is a both indoor and outdoor facility. The institute will be conducting ‘Mental Health Survey” in Assam. The training for the same has already been completed.
Both LGB Regional institute of Mental Health and Medical Colleges are identified as Centre of Excellence. Both these centre receive a special grant for infrastructure development and conducting PG and diploma courses. They will be a Resource Centre for the academicians, research scholars.
| Level | Activities | Target 2015-2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Community Level | Community awareness campaign for supporting and eradicating stigma. | 30 such campaigns will be conducted during the FY. |
Sensitization of opinion leaders/ religious leaders | 675 such leaders will be sensitized. Each district will sensitize 25 such leaders. | |
| Net working with NGOs. | Each district will organize two meetings with the NGOs at grassroots level. NGOs working on mental Health will be covered. | |
| Training of Anganwadis | All anganwadis of the district will be trained for early detection of mental illness.. | |
| Development of IEC materials | Suitable IEC materials will be developed in local language both in state and district level. | |
| Strengthening of community based rehabilitative system. | (i). Regular counseling with all the family members of mentally ill patients attending the hospital. (ii). All Panchyats of the district will be sensitized on mental health. | |
| District Level | To bring all districts of Assam under the program | To extend coverage from the existing 8 districts to 27 districts. |
| Training of medical officers and general physicians. | To train 300 Medical officers/general physicians. | |
| Training of MPWs. | 1000 MPWs will be trained. | |
| School coverage for detection of cases with mental illness. | 108 schools will be covered. | |
| Data collection | Each district will have a data bank. | |
| Function as a referral point from peripheral health institutes. | ||
| Medical Colleges | Training of doctors, | |
| Training of nurses/Para medicals. | ||
| Resource centre./Centre of Excellence | ||
| OPD /IPD facilities. | ||
| Research and publication. | Each medical Institution will do one operational research in the year and make a training need assessment. | |
| LGBRIMH | Training | Training of all categories of personnel. Training of NGOs. |
| Resource centre./Centre of Excellence | ||
| Research and publications. | ||
| Data Bank | ||
| Operational Research |
Strength of state program: All existing centers has been upgraded and requisite staff has been recruited.
Weakness: Lack of training. Long delay in fund disbursal for conducting the program, Lack of knowledge on legal provisions of Mental Health Act.
Opportunity: The various departments and other stakeholders are available in the state for successful implementation of the program as a joint venture.
Threat: Apart from natural calamities, paucity of fund may be big threat to the program.