Despite introducing mental health legislation and paying attention to medical conditions, government funding for mental health remains low. The pre-budget recommendations state that mental health professionals should increase funding of mental health institutions in the country to improve infrastructure, build capacity of mental health professionals, and provide resources for deprecating mental health. We are calling for a behavior change campaign.
The government has made significant progress in mental health law and policy over the past five years, from the Mental Health Care Act of 2017 to the recently launched National Suicide Prevention Policy. “I would like the budget to reflect the same forward thinking, from primary care outpatient visits at primary health centers (PHCs) and general hospitals to low-cost community-based mental health care. This will be a welcome and significant departure from previous budgets, where the majority of the mental health budget was spent on two psychiatric hospitals.” .
“Such budget allocations demonstrate government action towards overall planning for the best mix of services. Finally, as it is a critical issue facing India today, a national suicide prevention policy should also be an important part of the budget. I look forward to,” Mariwala said.
The government has recognized mental health issues in every budget session in recent years, indicating a gradual shift in the Indian health ecosystem from traditional physical health to mental health. and governments are being urged by experts to proportionately increase budget allocations to mental health programs.
“Over the last few years, the total budget allocation to the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) has remained unchanged at Rs 400 crore. A more balanced budget should be allocated to peripheral centers and medical colleges to better manage them.”
The Vandrevala Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps communities thrive by partnering with organizations to provide education and health care, said the government will provide NOK 1,000 a year to mental health institutions in the country to improve their infrastructure. , recommends that we should aim to build the capacity of mental health professionals. Behavior change campaign to end mental health stigma.
The Vandrevala Foundation launched a mental health helpline in India in 2009 to provide free psychological counseling and crisis assistance to anyone experiencing distress from depression, trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness, relationship conflicts, and more. offers mediation.
“Governments should focus on evenly distributing sufficient staff in hospitals across the country. We don’t have enough people, so people are a big concern and these medical professionals are well trained to be part of the digitalization process using the latest technology is needed.
Vandrevala argued, in its direction, that private hospitals should be allowed to offer emergency medical courses so that they can meet this manpower shortage. He argued that the proposed price list was unsatisfactory and ultimately to the loss of private hospitals. “We expect further revisions to the rate list under PMJAY. Another important aspect is the establishment of more specialized mental health hospitals across the country. It’s still taboo and people should know the difference between a mental hospital and a mental health facility,” Vandrevala said.
Many fast-growing start-ups and companies providing mental health services should be tax-free for at least 10 years to encourage the growth of the “for-profit” industry. Other recommendations from mental health experts are that governments should seriously consider offering double tax relief to businesses that provide mental health support to their employees. This makes the organization accountable to its own employees. The government should require all public and government-subsidized hospitals to reserve 10% of his beds for mentally ill patients. There are currently very few facilities serving these populations. Patients who have recovered but lack social support and need nursing care.
“Given the fact that the vast majority of people still do not have access to professional care to deal with their mental health problems, and for reasons such as the stigma associated with it, governments are urging the Information Education and Communication (IEC) We can allocate some funds to build a campaign that is making a sincere attempt to end the mental health challenge in this country.
