Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a National Mental Health Programme in her budget speech on Tuesday.
The Finance Minister said that the government intends to set up a National Tele-Mental Health Programme in India. She said that 23 tele-mental health centres would be launched with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) as the nodal centre.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today while presenting the Union Budget 2022-23.
“To better the access to quality mental health counselling and care services, a National Tele Mental Health program will be launched,” she said.
The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages. To better the access to quality mental health counseling and care services, a National Tele Mental Health program will be launched: FM Nirmala Sitharaman #Budget2022 pic.twitter.com/pAvtg9PTZd
— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2022
The Finance Minister added that the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Bangalore will provide technological support for the mental health programme.
In her budget speech today, FM expressed her empathy for those who had to bear adverse health and economic effects of the pandemic.
In the budget speech, the minister also stated that government would roll out an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem. “It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities,” the minister added.
The Finance Minister said the country is expected to grow at 9.2 per cent in the current financial year.
