Nonprofit to run Institute of Mental Health in Chennai: Move draws mixed reaction

CHENNAI: The state health department’s plan to transfer the operations of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to a Not-For-Profit, wholly Government-owned company from the current direct management of the government is drawing mixed reactions from various quarters.

State health secretary Supriya Sahu recently wrote to the Director of Medical Education to prepare a proposal for the transfer and send it to the government so that a government order can be issued. While the move’s supposed aim is to improve facilities and living conditions of inpatients in IMH, there is a disagreeing faction that alleges the state is trying to shirk responsibilities.

Sahu said with its current organisational set-up, fund allocation, fund utilisation, staff position, vacancies and assets available, the IMH is not capable of implementing a 360-degree transformation that the facility badly needs.

"We need to bring several institutional reforms to ensure that IMH emerges as premier institution providing 'Gold Standards' of care for its inmates,” her letter said, adding that Dr K Shantharaman, Additional Director of Medical Education can be nominated as the Nodal Officer for this project.

S Namburajan, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers called it a dangerous, evasive move by the state government.

Some sound caution that services are mainly sought by people from low socio-economic backgrounds, therefore, any commercialisation should be prevented.

"The move is expected to improve the infrastructure and public service, but the state health department should manage the administration and regulatory roles. The move should help improve access to mental health services, and a chief nodal officer should monitor the same,” said Bala Murugan, president of the Psychology Association of Tamil Nadu.