Health Minister K.K. Shylaja inaugurated two depression clinics, Prashanti and Sarathy, at Medical College on Friday, to deal with the issues of depression in women and children.
The number of women going through depression during the ante-natal and post-natal periods and during menopause has been going up significantly. Even though the maternal mortality ratio in Kerala has come down, the number of suicides among women during the pregnancy and post-natal period has been going up. The Prashanti clinics will function at the Gynaecology and Obstetrics department at SAT Hospital in Medical College, whereas Sarathy, a community-based depression clinic, will function from the Pangappara, Vakkom medical health units run by the Community Medicine department at MCH. Inaugurating the clinics, the Minister said depression clinics would be opened at all government hospitals soon. It is important to treat depression in women since it affects the next generation too.