Emergency care and recovery centres for homeless mentally ill to come up in 27 district hospitals in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The state health department is looking to set up Emergency Care and Recovery Centres (ECRC) for the homeless mentally ill at district hospitals across the state, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

A government order in this regard was issued on Thursday.

These ECRCs will come up in 27 district hospitals instead of 31 because four care centres have already been established at Chitradurga, Yadgir, Kolar and Bidar districts and are managed by Aaladamara Foundation.

The NGOs will have to manage these 30-bedded centres that will care for people with mental illnesses in 27 districts with an estimated annual budget of Rs 5.41 crore for human resources and consumables, excluding infrastructure and maintenance costs. These calculations will be apart from food, medicines and psychiatrist's services that the district hospitals are to provide.

They will cater to the needs of thousands of homeless and mentally ill persons, who are captured from the streets by the police. Their mental health status might lead to them posing health and safety risks to themselves or others, and they are in dire need of a just system that offers care and support, having limited access to any resources. These centres will be aimed at providing safe and secure shelter to the homeless mentally ill population in need of care.

In this regard, district authorities will invite Expression of Interest (EOI) applications from competent and experienced NGOs to collaborate with district hospitals. District-level committees shall shortlist the applicants and submit it to a state-level committee headed by a retired High Court judge.

The NGOs that will be selected will have to work with district hospitals to set up and operationalise these ECRCs. They will provide medication and medical attention by utilising hospital infrastructure.