JOIN USUnion Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harshvardhan, on Saturday, said as part of New Health Assurance Plan to be rolled out from September, package of preventive medicines, diagnostic tools and few essential drugs would be provided.
Inaugurating the Centre for Addiction at Nimhans, he claimed, this would make India disease free and towards reaching preventive and positive health care. State Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader, said it would be made mandatory for all Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and District Hospitals to attend to mental health patients every Tuesday of the week.
“In places where there are no psychiatrists, we will approach private medical centres and medical colleges to help us. Also, it will be ensured that all essential drugs for mental health is available at all times,” he said.
Seeking an increase in number of seats in psychiatry masters course of Nimhans to meet the growing needs of the industry, he said, to ensure there was no shortage of doctors, it would be made mandatory for those availing seats in Karnataka Quota to work in government establishments. Stating that counselling was essential, he said it was better alternative to sending them to prison.
“I believe that when you send a criminal to prison, he goes in with a bachelors degree and comes out with a PhD,” Khader remarked jovially. Nimhans Director Dr P Satish Chandra said the centre comprised of dedicated wing to treat women patients.
It also includes Drug Toxicology Laboratory and Virtual Knowledge Centre. “The centre of addiction, has seen increase in number of patients seeking help. It has increased three fold over the last decade with 804 in 2004 and 2668 in 2013-14,” he said.
The four floor building has been constructed at a cost of Rs 5.67 crore. Nimhans has acquired land for campus in to establish a state-of-art Poly Trauma Center in addition to round the clock Neuro-Trauma Centre in the present campus.
The new establishment will have facilities to air-lift patients from highways to hospitals.