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Source: The post is based on the article “India crosses a significant milestone for The National Tele Mental Health Programme of India” published in PIB on 22nd July 2023.
What is the News?
Tele MANAS Initiative has reached a significant milestone. The toll-free service has received over 2,00,000 calls from various parts of the nation since the launch portraying a consistently progressive trend.
What is the Tele MANAS Initiative?
Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative was launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare during October 2022.
Aim: 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.
Nodal center: 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) providing technology support.
Features: 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.
