JOIN USThe Psychiatry Department of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC & RI) will receive funds from British Council, under Knowledge Economy Partnerships scheme of the British Council of India, to conduct research for one year.
The research is being funded, following the ‘Mysore Declaration’, which was drafted in association with MMC & RI and Bangor University, North Wales. The research funding of Rs 10 lakh will be for a period of one year, Dr Raveesh B N, Head of the Psychiatry department, MMC & RI said.
Speaking at a press meet, Dr Raveesh said, the Declaration was a set of guidelines necessary to be practised, while dealing with patients with mental disorders in the country. The Declaration had also sought amendments to the Mental Health Bill, 1987, which had several shortcomings in dealing with such patients, he said.
“Moreover, the declaration aims at safeguarding human rights of such patients and also providing them appropriate medical procedures to treat their conditions,” he said.
Dr Peter Lipping, Consultant Psychiatrist and Honorary Professor of Bangor University, spoke on the similarities and differences of handling patients with psychiatric conditions in India and Europe.
“Mental illness, such as schizophrenia, dementia and other conditions, present itself in a similar manner in both India and Europe. However, the manner in which patients are taken care off by doctors and relatives of the patient is different,” he said.
Dr Raveesh said, 30 psychiatrists from around the country, along with forensic psychiatrists from Europe recently deliberated on the methods of coercion used in psychiatric treatment, in Mysore.
During the two-day international symposium, steps to prevent coercive methods and other issues related to such methods of treatment was discussed. Indian and European institutes will also collaborate to conduct research on such issues, he said.
Honorary professor
Dr Peter Lipping will serve as a honorary professor at the Psychiatry department of the MMC & RI from the current year. Dr Lipping has been undertaking psychiatric research in Mysore since three years and has agreed to serve as a professor in the Institute, Dr Raveesh said.