Advertisment

What Is Tele-MANAS? Can Help You To Access Mental Healthcare Easily

The primary objective of Tele-MANAS is to make mental healthcare across the country accessible, especially in remote areas. Under the initiative, any person can get counselling, specialist consultation, and e-prescriptions. Basically, tele-MANAS will work to provide free on-call affordable mental health-related services.

author-image
Snehal Mutha
Updated On
New Update
Mental Health Services Tele-MANAS
On the backdrop of World Mental Health Day, Union Health Ministry introduced a 24×7 mental health service called Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative. Initially, the service will start with 20 states and UTs and later expand to the entire country.
Advertisment

The primary objective of Tele-MANAS is to make mental healthcare across the country accessible, especially in remote areas. Under the initiative, any person can get counselling, specialist consultation, and e-prescriptions. Basically, tele-MANAS will work to provide free on-call affordable mental health-related services.

India's Mental Health Services Tele-MANAS

Karnataka governor Thawar Chand Gehlot launched one of the first facilities at the 26th convocation ceremony of graduates at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. 

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman first spoke about the national tele-mental health programme (NTMHP) in the Union Budget 2022-23 speech of February this year. She pointed out that the pandemic has highlighted the need for mental health care for people of all ages. As everyone should be able to access quality mental health counselling and care services, a ‘National Tele-Mental Health Programme’ will be soon launched.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a Twitter thread wrote, “Good mental health with Tele MANAS! PM @NarendraModi Ji’s Govt launches ‘Tele Mental Health Assistance & Networking Across States’ to provide all access to affordable mental health care in every State/UT. It will serve as the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme.”

Further commented, "Tele MANAS was announced in the Union Budget 2022. The facility will integrate all systems that provide mental healthcare and go a long way in extending services to vulnerable groups of the population and difficult-to-reach regions."

Advertisment

How will Tele-MANAS work? 

-NIMHANS will work as the nodal centre, having a network of 23 tele-mental health centers of excellence. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bengaluru and the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHRSC) will lend technical support to the NIMHANS.

-For now, five regional coordination centres, along with 51 state and UT Tele-MANAS cells are installed. NIMHANS so far conducted training for 900 Tele-MANAS counsellors from most states and UTs.

-Tele-MANAS helpline numbers are 14416 and 1-800-891-4416. One can call on this number and access the services available. 

-The services are categorised into two tiers. 

-The first tier basically includes trained counsellors and mental health specialists. In it, callers will first communicate with a centralized Interactive Voice Response system (IVRS). Later, transfer a call to a trained counsellor in their respective regions. For severe issues, it will be further virtually connected to mental health specialists like clinical psychologists, and psychiatric social workers.

Advertisment

-Second tier is one on one services, where specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College can access physical consultation and e-Sanjeevani for audio-visual consultation.


Suggested Reading- Challenges Young Women Face While Accessing Mental Healthcare

Mental Health Services in India Tele-MANAS
Advertisment