Psychiatry Dept hard-pressed to cope with patient rush

Tirupati: For the past several years, the Psychiatry department of SVR Ruia Government General Hospital here unable to cope with the additional rush of patients from the districts of Rayalaseema region. This is evident from the fact that 20-25 new patients visit the department everyday with various mental disorders, which is in addition to 150 existing patients coming daily for the follow-up treatment.

Highlights:

• Dept facing shortage of beds, faculty and infrastructure
• Health Minister Kamineni had assured of setting up a regional IMH in Tirupati, a year ago

Still, the department was moaning with just one unit of doctors to attend all these patients. Even in that one unit, one Assistant Professor post was lying vacant for a long time. With almost the same number of out-patients, the government mental hospital at Visakhapatnam is having seven units and other facilities too. In Ruia Hospital, the Psychiatry department is having only 30 beds which are not sufficient.

Clinical psychologist post was sanctioned long ago but it was also vacant for years together. There are no social workers and occupational therapists. Male and female nurse posts were also lying vacant. The department is also running a de-addiction centre. But no separate staff was sanctioned for that centre.

Health Minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas has promised to establish a regional Institute of Mental Health (IMH) in Tirupati almost a year ago. It was confined to mere announcement only. After bifurcation of the state, the people of AP were now left with only mental health institute at Visakhapatnam. People of Rayalaseema finding it difficult to travel to Visakhapatnam.

There is a need for closed ward for the patients with chronic mental illness. Especially, for jail inmates and aggressive patients closed ward is a must. Such patients are referred to Visakhapatnam as there is no such facility available in entire Rayalaseema, Dr N Nageswar Rao, Head of Psychiatry department told The Hans India. Proposals for setting up IMH was sent to the state government. “Recently, we took the issue to the notice of District Collector PS Pradyumna, who is also the Chairman of Hospital Development Society, and he responded positively,” he added.

IMH involves huge budget with the construction of a separate building for more beds, closed ward and others. As far as the faculty is concerned, at least six more units are to be established. “To meet the present requirement, we have asked the government to increase the existing one unit to at least three units. In the present de-addiction block, a closed ward can also be established on temporary basis to serve the patients, Rao said. To a question, he said that 50 per cent inmates are from Rayalaseema and Nellore districts in closed prisoners ward located in mental health institute at Visakhapatnam.

The data reveals that there is an every need to set up IMH at Tirupati. Already, the pilgrim city has become a centre for destitutes and people with chronic mental illness can be found wandering in the streets. Nageswara Rao stressed that there is every need to take care of patients with mental illness as the National Mental Health Programme also suggests. If physical illness is not cured that patient will only suffer and if mental illness is not cured then everyone around the patient will suffer.

By V Pradeep Kumar