TELE MANAS INITIATIVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health)
Context: The National Tele Mental Health Programme Tele-MANAS Helpline received over 10 lakh calls since its launch in October 2022.
Tele MANAS initiative
- About: It stands for Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across the States.
- To provide universal access to equitable, accessible, affordable and quality mental health care through 24X7 tele-mental health services as across all Indian States and UTs with assured linkages.
o Digital component of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP).
- Launched in: Union budget 2022-23.
- Nodal ministry: Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- Objective:
o To exponentially scale up the reach of mental health services to anybody who reaches out, across India, any time by setting up a 24x7 tele-mental health facility in each of the States and UTs of the country.
o To implement a full-fledged mental health-service network that, in addition to counselling, provides integrated medical and psychosocial interventions including video consultations with mental health specialists, e-prescriptions, follow-up services and linkages to in-person services.
o To extend services to vulnerable groups of the population and difficult to reach populations
- Over 42 functional Tele MANAS Cells across 31 States and UTs, the service is currently catering to 1,300+ calls per day in 20 languages.
- The Government of India has launched the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 1982.
- World Mental Health Day: 10 October.
