SHILLONG, OCT 10: Cases of mental illness in Meghalaya is much higher than the national average even as the state is facing difficulty in addressing this issue due to lack of health services, manpower and doctors shortage.
This was revealed by speakers at the panel discussion on ‘Living with Schizophrenia’ organized by Sanker to observe the World Mental Health Day held at Pinewood on Friday.
Quoting the Meghalaya government report of 2011 that said the state is short of 75 per cent doctors, Syiem said, “In this scenario one can imagine that mental health hardly gets the priority it should.”
India has very limited number of mental health facilities and professionals (one bed for 40, 000 populations) and three psychiatrists per million populations.
There is huge shortage of trained personnel to manage the challenge of mental illness, Dr Syiem said while pointing out that as per study done by Asha Deep (Guwahati), not even 5 per cent of the requirement of psychologist, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurses or social worker is being met.
Syiem also added that suicides, especially among the youth (15-30 age group), is on the rise and facilities in schools and colleges are woefully inadequate to cope with the challenge of adolescence mental health problems.
Stating that there is lack of mental health services both in urban and rural areas, Syiem said that the state has set up institutes like Meghalaya Institute of Mental Health & Neuro-Sciences (MIMHANS) and NEIGHRIMS being a teaching institute, but still has no separate ward for the mentally ill patients till date.
Others institutions like SANKER, KRIPA foundation, New Hope are all located mainly in the city and not in the rural areas, Syiem said.
Moreover, out of 11 districts in Meghalaya, only two districts – West Garo Hills District and Jaintia Hills are under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP). Both of them do not full time psychiatrist for the programme.-By Our Reporter
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