Expressing the need to institutionalise psychiatry departments in various medical colleges and hospitals across the country, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said NIMHANS should mentor these institutions so that they can be converted into academic centres.
Delivering an address at the 24th convocation of NIMHANS here, he said, “NIMHANS can be a mentor institution just like a university for all the hospitals and colleges that cater to mental health in the country. It requires the State governments also to be on board. We will facilitate this.”
Lauding the academic achievements of NIMHANS, the Minister said, “I was happy to learn that you are linking 100 medical colleges through tele-medicine to improve teaching in mental he alth. NIMHANS director B.N. Gangadhar informed me of a very good plan of utilising the 20,000 beds from across 43 mental hospitals in the country and converting them in to academic centres.”
He suggested that being a mentor NIMHANS could give them degrees and the management of hospitals would be vested with the State government. “These incubation centres are surely a way forward and would complement the ongoing efforts to enhance postgraduate training in mental health and allied disciplines,” he said.
Calling upon NIMHANS to ensure that by 2022 no patient in Karnataka is deprived of mental health care, the Union Minister said it should work towards reducing the huge treatment gap as indicated in the National Mental Health Survey.
Requesting Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to sanction an additional 50 acres of land to NIMHANS for setting up the proposed Comprehensive Trauma Care Centre in North Bengaluru, he said, “You give the land and we will provide the funds.”
Earlier, Mr. Yediyurappa urged the Union Minister to sanction three All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-like institutions to Karnataka – one each in north, south and central Karnataka. “I promise that the State government will provide all necessary support in establishing these institutions,” he said.
“Of the 40 acres that had been allotted for the NIMHANS north campus, we have already handed over 30 acres and the remaining will be given soon. If there is any additional requirement of land that will also be taken care of,” he added.
ESIC Hospital in Kalaburagi
NIMHANS is working on starting its centre in ESIC Hospital, Kalaburagi. This is based on a request by ESIC, said Mr. Gangadhar. He said that an MoU in this regard would be signed soon.
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Toppers on their inspirations
Of the 176 students who received their postgraduate degrees at the 24th convocation of NIMHANS here on Monday, 14 were presented with meritorious awards.
Safwan Ahmed, who bagged the Dr. Ansiya Vasanth Memorial award for Best Post-Graduate Resident in Neurology-2019, is living his father’s dream. Having lost his father at the age of 16, this young neurologist said he pursued medicine as his father always wanted him to become a doctor. Hailing from Bajpe in Mangaluru, he has now joined Father Muller Medical College Hospital as a Consultant Neurologist. “I want to continue research in congnitive neurosciences and it is my desire to start a sub-speciality department for the same at Father Muller,” he said.
Sangeetha R.P., who bagged the Dr. Usha Punja award for Best Outgoing Student in DM Neuroanaesthesia-2019, said her inspiration was her alma mater. “I wanted to pursue higher studies in NIMHANS and this dream came true when I got a peripheral posting in NIMHANS while I was doing my MD in BMCRI. I developed an interest in neuroanaesthesia then and am interested in awake craniotomies. I want to do further research in this speciality.”
