Universal Health Assurance Programme to
cover mental health
New Delhi,Union Health
Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has expressed grief over the national loss in
valuable human resources which is owed to the rising tendency of young people
to commit suicide when facing seemingly unconquerable adversity.
Inaugurating a mass contact programme in Thrissur, Kerala, today to
conscientise the general public about the increasing rate of suicides, Dr Harsh
Vardhan said, “The mounting incidence of suicide has become a public health
issue of global importance as brought out by the World Health Organisation in a
recent report. The government will adopt a strategy on suicide prevention which
will stress on counselling and wider spread of treatment centres for
depression.”
A cycle rally is on in Kerala since September 11 with the purpose of generating
mass awareness on suicides, drug abuse, alcoholism, violence and other social
problems. The campaign is led by a Catholic priest, Father Davis Chiramel, and
is named “Ma Nishada” after the first shloka in the Ramayana. Others present on
the occasion included Justice (retired) Shri Cyriac Joseph, Member of National
Human Rights Commission, and Shri C.N. Jayadevan, the MP of Thrissur.
Though India’s suicide rate is the 12th highest in the world, the country is
unfortunately home to the highest number of suicides among people in the 15-29
age group –35.5 in 100,000 people.
“This is no age to die. These are people who could contribute a lot to nation
building because a great number of them are well educated. They took the
extreme step out of depression forced on them by some form of disillusionment.
With timely counselling they could have been saved,” the Minister said.
He pointed out that between 1.5 and 2 million people commit suicide in India
annually. For every suicide committed successfully, a minimum of 15-20 people
fail. Besides, not all suicides are reported to the police because of the
stigma attached.
“Medical students, management students, engineering students, young
professionals and even government officials are committing suicides in large
numbers. This has serious implications for the future,” the Minister
said.
He urged the parents of young children to instil in their progeny values of
patience and magnanimity. He counselled, “Do not pressure them to achieve
impossible goals. Love them for what they are instead of taunting them for not
living up to your ideal. That way they will never even think of committing
suicide.”
It is significant that the highest number of suicides is reported from states
with a high literacy level. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and
Karnataka report more than 53 percent of the national total.
Dr Harsh Vardhan said that as part of a move to experiment with suicide
prevention strategies, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro
Sciences, Bangalore has initiated a public outreach programme to spread awareness
on suicides and prevent people from taking the extreme step when they manifest
early signs of a suicidal streak. Already 28 countries round the world
undertake such programmes. “This programme, called ‘Gatekeeper’, involves training people from all walks
of life with knowledge and basic skills on suicidal instinct identification.
These ‘gatekeepers’ would infiltrate society and keep their senses open to
detect cases which they report for counselling. A prominent NGO is partnering
NIMHANS in this initiative,” the Minister revealed.
The government has also decided to bring mental illnesses under the purview of
the Universal Health Assurance Programme (UHAP), the Minister informed. This
has been recommended by an expert group constituted to conceptualise what is
slated to be the world’s largest ever public health mission.
There are a large number of mental illnesses which are easily curable with
drugs and counselling, Dr Harsh Vardhan stated. But their cost is prohibitive
and only the elite classes can afford them. But since the vast majority of the
mentally sick are from poor backgrounds, the government has decided to assure
free treatment for select illnesses, he said.
The Minister pointed out that a Kerala High Court ruling in 2013 made
non-inclusion of the mentally ill under the Rashtriya Swasth Bima Yojana
illegal. So, it has been decided that UHAP will pack in select mental illnesses
in its free treatment list. Dr Harsh Vardhan has words of praise for Kerala’s health infrastructure. “This
morning on my way from Thrissur to Perinthalmana, I stopped at a primary health
centre in Mundoor. I was impressed by the cleanliness, efficiency and
particularly the fact that it had granite flooring which reflects the Kerala
government’s commitment to public health. I hope this example is emulated all
over the country,” he said.
Shri Justice (retired) Cyriac Joseoph, former Supreme Court judge and presently
Member, National Human Rights Commission, said that the influence of liquor
behind most crimes is a fact of life. “Those who say prohibition is impractical
obfuscate the facts. There should be a pro-active campaign against the
consumption of liquor”, he stressed. Shri Justice (retd) Joseph also spoke in favour of de-criminalising attempt to
suicide. Alongside, he wanted the government to compensate the families of
farmers who commit suicide owning to extreme poverty because it should be seen
as the State’s failure to guarantee Right to Life.
Father Davis Chiramel, the organiser of “Ma Nishada”, said that a national
strategy on suicide and violence prevention is the need of the hour. He said
that the cycle rally also strove to raise public consciousness against murder
and other heinous crimes.
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