Tele MANAS initiative

Tele MANAS initiative

News: The union health ministry said the Tele-Manas helpline under the National Tele Mental Health Programme has received over 200,000 calls since its launch in October 2022.

Background:
• Currently, there are 42 active Tele Manas cells across 31 states and Union Territories. The service handles over 1,300 calls daily in 20 different languages.

What is Tele MANAS initiative?
• The initiative seeks to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.
• The initiative maintains anonymity of the callers, thereby reducing the stigma generally surrounding mental health issues.
• The initiative includes a network of 23 tele-mental health centers of excellence, with National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) being the nodal center and International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) provides tech support.
• Tele-MANAS is organized in two tier systems: Tier 1 comprises state Tele-MANAS cells which include trained counselors and mental health specialists.
• Tier 2 comprises specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio visual consultation.

What are other government initiatives for Mental health in India?
• Kiran Helpline and Manodarpan initiative
• National Mental health programme
• Mental healthcare act, 2017
• Right of person’s with Disability act, 2017 which includes Mental health as a Disability