The District Mental Health Programme is already running in 34 districts in Maharashtra and very soon it will be rolled out in Mumbai also.
To begin with, two posts of psychiatrists have been sanctioned by the Centre along with other needed staff in the programme. There are chances of it getting approved by next year.
“The challenges in Mumbai can be very different compared to the other 34 districts in Maharashtra, as the city is very populated and has a larger migrant population,” said Dr. Padmaja Jogewar, Joint Director (non-communicable diseases), DHS. “The pandemic has led to a spurt in mental health issues and rolling out this programme will only help cater to a larger population,” she said.
