Sudhakar pitches for 'E-Manas' replication all across India

Bengaluru: Mental health should get the same importance as physical health, said Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Friday. Modern lifestyle is leading people to become victims of mental ailments and the Karnataka government and its Health department developed many programs to combat this, he stated.

Sudhakar was participating in the 14th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW), the apex advisory body for Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW). The conference named "Swasthya Chintan Shivir" is being held at Kevadia in Gujarat from 5th to 7th May.

Sessions in the conference focuse on themes such as affordable, accessible and equitable health for all, preparing India for future health emergencies, Heal in India and Heal by India etc. The conference also had a session consisting of Health Ministers from States sharing best practices in the health sector in their respective states. As a part of this session, the minister explained about Karnataka's E-Manas software.

Addressing the conference, Sudhakar explained that Karnataka has developed a comprehensive and innovative software platform for Mental Health called E-Manas and was launched in June 2020 which consisted of over 12 projects to address mental health. E-Manas is an Internet based, statewide registry of mental health professionals, establishments and patients, Minister Sudhakar said. He further stated that it will be a one stop destination for all mental health activity but he assured that the data will be stored secretly and it will be secure.

Minister Sudhakar told Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya that Karnataka will be integrating E-Manas with other platforms currently in use including Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka, Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Directories and NIC's (National Informatics Center) E-Hospital framework.

One such project is the Manochaitanya clinics. Minister Sudhakar explained that when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the government observed fear, apprehension and stigma among COVID-19 patients which even led to some patients taking their own lives. With the Manochaitanya clinic, Mental health professionals would go from house to house and counsel COVID-19 patients. In addition to this, 27 lakh COVID-19 patients were tele-counseled with help from National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Minister Sudhakar said.

Other programs to address mental health include

Mathru Chaitanya that provides counselling to pregnant and lactating women. Manasadhara (Day Care Centers) program provides rehabilitation day care to those recovering from mental illness.Dawa and Dua program that combines faith healing along with medications for those with mental illness. Additionally, Minister Sudhakar said that the Karnataka Health Department is working with NIMHANS to train PHC doctors to treat mental health conditions.

Minister Sudhakar stated that E-Manas is a mobile compatible, easy to use software and suggested that the software could be rolled out across the nation to streamline mental healthcare.

Minister Sudhakar said that Karnataka has come up with a vision document for health prepared by around 500 professionals from various disciplines to bring a holistic and comprehensive approach to healthcare. The document is based on the principle of 5Is - Intervention, Integration, Implementation, Innovation & Investment.