Tele-MANAS [UPSC Notes]

Tele-MANAS or the Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across State initiative of GoI was launched in October 2022. This is an important government programme catering to the health sector and as such, it is important for the UPSC exam, from multiple perspectives. In this article, you can read all about the Tele-Manas initiative, its objectives, features, and other details for the IAS exam.

The healthcare sector, related schemes and benefits are all a part of the IAS Syllabus under the GS Paper II of UPSC Mains.

Tele-MANAS

The Central Government announced National Tele Mental Health Program (NTMHP) in the Union Budget 2022 – 23 with the objective to better the access to quality mental health counselling and care services across the country. 

• The Tele-MANAS was launched on World Mental Health Day virtually by Sh. Thawar Chand Gehlot, Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.
• The 24/7 mental health services aim to provide universal access to affordable, equitable and quality mental health care through tele-services under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP).

Tele-MANAS Nodal Centre

NIMHANS, Bengaluru has been identified as the nodal centre for Tele-MANAS and technical support will be provided by IIIT, Bengaluru (International Institute of Information Technology).

• The programme is based on Karnataka’s initiative E-MANAS which was launched by its state government during COVID-19 (first wave). It was in collaboration with NIMHANS to help people with stress during the pandemic. It has proved to be the one-stop centre for mental health in Karnataka.

Tele-MANAS Services

The Tele-MANAS services can be availed by calling toll-free numbers 14416 and 1-800-891-4416. The callers can select the language of their choice for availing of services.

• The services have been divided into two tiers 
  • The first tier consists of trained counsellors and mental health specialists. The callers will first interact with a centralised Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS), after which the call will be transferred to a trained counsellor in their respective regions.
  • The second tier is in-person services which include specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical college resources for physical consultation and e-Sanjeevani for audio-visual consultation. 

Image source: PIB

• At present, there are five regional coordination centres along with 51 State/UT Tele-MANAS cells. 
• 900 Tele-MANAS counsellors have been trained by NIMHANS.
• The Union Government aims to open at least one Tele-MANAS cell in each state/UT.
• India saw a 35% rise in clinically significant depression and anxiety disorders due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 (As per a Lancet study). Tele-MANAS comes at a time when mental health has deteriorated following the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Image source: PIB

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