Governor Droupadi Murmu has assured the Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) officials of helping the institute get status equivalent to the NIMHANS (Bengaluru) and developing it as a Centre of Excellence in mental health related diseases.
On the occasion of 100th Foundation Day of CIP on Wednesday, the Governor said that she had written to the Prime Minister and Union Health Minister about this which was expected to bear fruit in near future.
CIP which was started in 1918 under British rule as European lunatic Asylum to treat mental disorders of other than Indian origin people living in India also announced on Wednesday to organise host of programmes throughout the year till May 17, 2018 under CIP Centenary Year celebration.
“It is a matter of immense pleasure that the Institute has completed 100 years and has helped lakhs of people suffering from one mental disorder or the other to lead a normal peaceful life post treatment. I have written to the Centre, including the PM to bless the Institute a status equivalent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) Bengaluru, which was started decades after CIP. I have also requested to develop CIP a Centre of Excellence,” said Murmu.
Elaborating works and achievements of CIP so far, Director D Ram said that the development of mental health treatments in India had been almost in tune with the development of CIP. “It has remained a matter of amusement for parents and guardians to see their severely mental disorder hit patients walking out cured within 72 hours in various categories of cases in CIP. The institute has undertaken numerous research works and developed number of tools in the area of mental health and we are committed to take it forward to become the best mental treatment centre in country,” expected Ram.
Murmu also expressed concern over growing cases of mental disorders across age-group. “Cases of even school children committing or trying to commit suicide is a grave area of concern in any civilized and educated society. Depression is leading youth and parents to dreading end. Cases of drug and alcohol abuse are on rise. Media plays an important role to educate and help people come out of such blue. CIP also needs to start campaign against all these evils,” advised Murmu.
“I believe the graphic presentation which usually media carries to produce cases of mental illnesses many a times only strengthens already prevailing stigma about mental patients. The aggression and expressions selected to depict mental patients wouldn’t lead to cure existing patients. Though large section of media has expressed its seriousness while producing such cases, I believe a more concerted effort is needed to handle growing mental illness in communities and society, and psychiatry practitioners will also have to open up themselves as far as interaction with media to portray such cases is concerned,” said The Pioneer Consulting Editor Suman K Shrivastava during presentation session on Media and Mental Health.
Experts like Senior Journalist Madhukar, Padmashri Balbir Dutt, renowned Psychiatrist and ex-CIP Director Haqi S Nijami, DD Ranchi Director Pramod Kumar Jha and others also opined during the session that the stigma towards mental illness was one of the strongest roadblocks while dealing with the issue. However, it had started melting and it was right time when a holistic approach needed to be taken.