Why in the News?

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster collaboration in operating a special cell of Tele MANAS.
- This collaboration, spanning two years, aims to establish a pilot project at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune.

Suicides and Fratricides in Armed Forces: A Global Issue

As per information given in Parliament in April 2022, there were two cases of fratricide each year from 2019 to 2021 and one case in 2021.
In an older reply in Rajya Sabha on suspected suicide cases in the Army, the Government informed that during the years 2016 to 2018 there were 104, 75 and 80 cases, respectively.
A 2018 study correlated extended deployment to a 15% increased suicide risk in the U.S. military, the U.S. Department of Defence recorded 503 suicides among active-duty personnel in 2019.
Common reasons that forces an individual to take extreme steps are:
- Family issues,
- Family separation,
- Prolonged deployment in difficult areas,
- Continuous exposure to hazardous situations,
- Traumas originated in Counter Insurgency or Counter Terrorism operations and
- Wide range of Human Resource management issues.
Preventive Measures: The Army in its latest advisory issued in August 2023 stated that officers and religious teachers – at least one Pandit, Maulvi, Granthi or Pastor – are posted in each unit and selected other ranks are being trained on the nuances of counselling.

Tele MANAS, or Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking across States, stands as India’s National Tele Mental Health Programme.
It is envisioned as the digital extension of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP).
Its announcement came in the Union Budget of 2022.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) serves as the nodal agency overseeing its implementation.
The primary aim is to ensure universal access to equitable, accessible, affordable, and high-quality mental health care through round-the-clock tele-mental health services.
The International Institute of Information Technology, Bengaluru, serves as the technology partner.
The nodal centre for Tele MANAS operations is located at NIMHANS, Bengaluru.
The National Health Systems Resource Centre operates within the health system domain.
Helpline numbers for assistance are 14416 and 18008914416.
The implementation structure comprises two tiers:

Tier 1: Consists of State Tele MANAS cells comprising trained counsellors and mental health specialists,
Tier 2: Comprises resources from the District Mental Health Program (DMHP) and medical colleges.

Nationwide Presence: Currently, 51 operational Tele MANAS cells operate across all 36 States and UTs, delivering services in 20 diverse languages.
Remarkable Response: Since its inception in October 2022, Tele MANAS has received over 10 lakh calls and manages a daily average of more than 3,500 calls.

The NMHP was launched by the Government of India in 1982.
It was initiated to address the significant burden of mental disorders in the population.
Mental disorders affect approximately 6-7% of the population in India.
- Objectives of NMHP: Ensuring the availability and accessibility of minimum mental healthcare to all, particularly the vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the population.
As part of NMHP, the District Mental Health Program (DMHP) was introduced in 1996 during the IX Five Year Plan based on the ‘Bellary Model’:
- The Bellary Model emphasizes the importance of early detection, short-term training for physicians, and health worker training in identifying individuals with mental health issues.

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