Further to the upcoming budget I would like to share a quote on behalf of Dr Neerja Birla:
Pre-budget quote: Budget for mental health
“First I would like to congratulate the current Government for spotlighting mental health concerns in India. The Government’s effort to set up toll-free helpline, MANAS across the country helped bring much-needed attention and access to mental health services, thus bringing mental health conversations in open and on larger platforms possible. Having said this mental health is still a real challenge in India and is shredded in taboo. To ensure the momentum of progress in the space we hope for a significant increase in and a balanced budgetary allocation for mental health. Funding should be increased to make outpatient mental health care services available at all Primary Health Centres and bolster community-based services to close the existing treatment gap of up to 83%.
With WHO citing that one in every five Indians suffers from some kind of mental illness, there is an urgent need for the government to adopt a multi-pronged and multi-sectoral approach to work on the problem.
While tele mental health services certainly aid in making help accessible to large swathes of the population, there is a crippling shortage of professionals who could service the increasing number of people seeking therapy for sustained treatment. It is recommended to have at least three psychiatrists per one lakh people whereas India's ratio is less than one per 1 lakh people. The amount of education and training medical students receive in the field of mental health and psychiatry is limited- only 1.4% lecture hours and a 2-week internship in a medical school, this need to change and a concentrated effort towards increasing seats in medical colleges for postgraduate and super specialization courses in psychiatry needs to be made, especially in smaller states to facilitate the generation of more mental healthcare professionals in the country. Incentives should be provided so that more and more experts choose to work in India instead of heading abroad for favourable opportunities.
Non-health sectors such as education and corporates must also be encouraged to imbibe mental health in their policies and help in increasing awareness and support.
Increased investment in mental health will not only have improved health outcomes and equip people to live their lives to the fullest but also significantly contribute to the economy, which is crucial for the progress of our nation.”
We have also attached the same along with her high res image.
About Dr. Neerja Birla
Dr Neerja Birla's Mpower initiative was born with the aim to #StampOutStigma and encourage open dialogue around mental health so that individuals could have the right to a fulfilled life, sans any bias, discrimination, or shame - regardless of socio-economic boundaries. We hope to bring about change in the public perception regarding people coping with mental health concerns and facilitate recovery.
In fact, Mpower was born with the aim of #StampOutStigma to encourage open dialogue around mental health. Mpower hopes to bring about a change in the public perception regarding people coping with mental health concerns, and to facilitate recovery without facing discrimination or shame, whilst simultaneously affecting change. It aims to create awareness and alleviate stigma among families, individuals and communities; advocating prevention, fostering education, and providing world-class holistic services so that they may lead meaningful and productive lives with respect and dignity.
A recent Champions of Change Impact Report they launched last year reveals that there is a rise of 30% of people suffering from mental health illnesses in just 3 years. (18 million in 2013 suffered from mental illness to 61.5 Mil in 2016), and despite the grim state of mental health in India, only 10% of Indians with mental health problems receive evidence-based treatments. As per records from 2019, out of the total 1.39 lakh total suicides in India, 93,061 were among young adults. Amidst the challenging and competitive era, it has become extremely crucial to acknowledge the importance of mental healthcare in academia.
Based on her understanding of the sensitive relationship between academia and mental health, Dr Birla is focused on building an integrated education system that revolutionizes learning and nurtures skills through best international practices by developing practical teaching and learning abilities within a global setting.
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