Indian Psychiatric Society urges T.N. govt. to withdraw proposal to change the management of Institute of Mental Health

The society say the decision altered public perception of the government’s commitment to protect the needs of a vulnerable population and suggests strengthening administration through internal audits and monitoring systems

The Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian Psychiatric Society has called for a halt to the proposal to introduce a not-for-profit government-owned company to manage the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) here. A few days ago, the Health Secretary had written to the Director of Medical Education requesting a proposal to have a company established by the State government under Section 8 of The Companies Act manage the institute.

The society said the decision altered public perception of the government’s commitment to protect the needs of a vulnerable population and pointed out that the IMH offered training and research opportunities to postgraduate students and was an approved centre for Ph.D programmes, said R. Sabrin Ross, the society’s president.

“The observation that the current organisational structure is inadequate seems ill founded,” Dr. Ross said in the letter, which was also signed by the society’s honorary general secretary T. Siva Ilango.

The members wanted to know why it was not possible to mobilise funds through donations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives within the current government framework. They cited the earlier attempts by non-governmental organisations to influence the administrative structure of the IMH, and added that the government’s current move could pave way for such entities to exert influence over policy decisions and potentially hinder the care needs of deserving patients.

The society urged the government to focus on supporting and funding the institute, conducting regular internal audits, monitoring systems, filling vacancies, and improving the infrastructure.

Published - October 29, 2024 09:32 pm IST