Mental health experts hail FM announcement of setting up 23 tele-mental health centers in budget speech 2022-23

Mental health experts have praised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement to establish 23 telemental health centers as part of the national telemental health program in the 2022-23 budget speech.

This is aimed at improving access to quality mental health care, FM stated in its budget speech.

According to Dr. Kersi Chavda, Consultant Psychiatrist at PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, “We will now be in a position to digitally connect with telemental health centers as per guidelines and protocols to get the required mental health consultation or guidance. . Patients will be able to talk to the best people in the country and have access to quality mental health care they could only have dreamed of.”

“The government has finally woken up to the fact that mental health is an extremely important aspect of life. If we seek to make India a superpower, it cannot be a superpower as long as the mental health of all its citizens is not taken care of. I recommend that in treatment guidelines and protocols, patients should also have access to the medication that is given to them by the psychiatrist because it is also an extremely important part of treating mental health,” he added.

The mental health telecentre network will work in coordination with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore as the hub. The project will be supported by the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bangalore.

“An open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem will be deployed. It will consist of digital records of health providers and health establishments, unique health identity and universal access to health establishments,” added the Minister of Finance.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech, said there is a need to improve access to quality mental health care and counseling services as the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems of mental health in people of all age groups.

Speaking about telemental health centers, Neerja Birla, Founder and President of Mpower, said: “The government has recognized the mental health crisis, exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic, in the Union budget. The creation of a national telemental health program will go a long way in helping people of all ages access quality mental health. Today, having a platform where people can express their concerns freely and safely is the first step towards mental wellness, and with this, India will be able to bring about much-needed change in society.”

“The upcoming launch of the National Remote Mental Health Program with a network of 23 mental health centers of excellence is a positive step in providing mental health advice to people primarily affected by the pandemic. Furthermore, the additional amount of Rs 50,000 crore in the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) earmarked exclusively for hospitality and related services will surely improve the efficiency of the overall healthcare ecosystem in India,” said Dr. JPS Bakshi, founder. & MD, Medical care of Dr. Bakshi.

Echoing similar views, Seema Arora, Business Head – Consumer & Digital, South Asia, Asia & Latin America, ResMed, “The Government of India’s announcement to implement an open platform for the national digital health ecosystem will contribute to greatly to promoting digital technology. health technologies in India. Digital records for health care providers and unique health identities are critical to promoting research and innovation for the health care sector, while also facilitating access to health care for Indians. The proposed digital health care records will also help set a transformational course to foster good health and build a world-class health care infrastructure in the country. ResMed remains dedicated to bringing digital health technologies and cloud-connected medical devices to transform care for people with sleep apnea, COPD and other chronic conditions.”

“The 2022 Economic Study highlighted that the health sector was the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic. A nearly 73% increase in health sector spending compared to the pre-Covid era indicated the need to adopt remote monitoring and other digital technologies to support India’s requirements,” he added.

Mahavir Bafna, CEO, Bafna Pharmaceuticals Limited said: “The digitization of the national healthcare ecosystem is a welcome move announced in the Budget. Digitizing health records from health providers and facilities will help beneficiaries to access health facilities, especially in rural India. This will also have a positive impact on pharmaceutical companies as it is an integral part of the healthcare sector. “

Speaking about the areas not addressed in the Union Budget, Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Indian Medical Devices Industry Association (AiMeD), speaking about the budget said: “The 2022 union budget did not mention declared measures to boost domestic manufacturing. We expected the government to move forward with promised reforms and anticipated enabling steps to boost domestic medical device manufacturing. It is frustrating that, contrary to our expectations, the government has not included any measures to help end the 80-85% import dependency imposed on India. It only repeated last year’s guarantee to end customs exemptions for products that can be made in India.”

The expectations of the Indian medical device industry were a predictable tariff policy, a gradual increase in customs duties from 10% to 15% from the current zero to 7.5%, a clear policy on health taxes and the announcement of tax exemptions related to R&D to encourage indigenous development.

“The only positive announcement was on government procurement by allowing 75% timely payments and giving weighted price preference due to quality, which is especially critical in healthcare-related medical devices,” Nath concluded.

Dr. Veeraal Gandhi, Chairman and CEO of Voxtur Bio Ltd, said: “The budget has established a framework for the digitization of the healthcare ecosystem. Digital records of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity, and universal access to health facilities will improve the efficiency of health care delivery. The focus on strengthening mobile connectivity will eventually drive the adoption of point-of-care diagnostic and telehealth services.”

Dr. Harshit Jain, Founder and Global CEO of Doceree, said: “The high point of the budget is its focus on mental health. It shows the government’s commitment to creating a holistic health environment. The pandemic has had a visibly damaging impact on people’s mental well-being. The situation was aggravated because there was another epidemic that we were facing simultaneously: the mental health epidemic that was global in nature. The proposed national telemental health program will create a supportive environment for people to talk about the emotional issues they face on a day-to-day basis and help eliminate the stigma we have around mental and emotional issues. Furthermore, the decision to create an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem is another move to digitize healthcare in the country, which is sure to have a far-reaching impact in making quality healthcare accessible to all.” .