Mental Healthcare Bill 2016: Use technology as a tool for effective implementation, says official

New Delhi: On Monday, the Lok Sabha gave its legislative assent to the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, that provides for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness, and most importantly, decriminalises suicide.

While the bill was passed after assuring its efficacy, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has suggested using technology to boost effective implementation of the bill.

Speaking on the topic 'Depression: Let's Talk', at an event, organised by World Health Organisation India, Agarwal said, “We need to use IT as a tool in creating multimedia campaigns, smartphone applications and animated videos to reach out to the masses.”

Agarwal noted that while the new bill had created a country-wide advocacy on the issue of depression, cooperation is needed for its implementation.

"We have made a start with the bill, but to ensure its implementation, we need to reach out to the masses and talk to the organisations who work at the ground level.

"The culmination of efforts and advocacy of last so many years has resulted in having a new mental health act. We must see that the act is not only implemented on paper but also in spirit. We have to move ahead and remove the stigma associated with depression," he said.

Agarwal recognised the lack of trained professionals as a reason for lower focus on mental health in the country.

"Focus on mental health care has been low due to an unavailability of trained man power, psychiatrists and social workers in some states. That is also the reason that National Mental Health Programme has not taken off with the required speed," he said.

Agarwal also called for inclusion of mental health services at regular health centres so that the patients "do not face stigma or restriction" in visiting health care units.

"Integrating mental health with the regular health centres is also important. Mental health checkups should be treated as normal as the regular checkups. Once we are able to do that the situation will improve," he said.

While Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO representative to India, appreciated government's initiatives in health policies, he called for proper allocation of funding in districts and rural areas.

"India is still not spending much on health care. The funds given by the government are still on the lower side. Although the National Health Policy of 2017 says 2.5 per cent of GDP should go to the primary health care and the investments should reach the people in need, its proper allocation needs more attention.

"65-70 percent of the Indians live in rural areas. We know that qualified doctors would not like to visit the rural areas and this also serves as a big challenge," Bekedam said.

(With PTI inputs)