Kilpauk Medical College & Hospital (KMC) in Chennai will start PG Programme in Psychiatry from next academic year. The Union Health Ministry has already given the nod in this regard and sanctioned Rs 50 lakh towards construction of building and infrastructure facilities. A team from the Medical Council of India will visit the institution shortly, according to Dr V Kanagasabai, dean of the Medical College.

Currently four medical colleges in the state are conducting PG Courses in Psychiatry. They are Madras Medical College, Chennai, Stanley Medical College, Chennai, Madurai Medical College and Tanjavur Medical College. The Union Government is also considering to give sanction for the same course to Thirunelveli Medical College.

Dr Kanagasabai disclosed this while launching a scheme under the Union Health Ministry's National Mental Health Programme to be implemented in the Kanchipuram district. Though the Medical College is in Chennai, it is attached to that district. The state government has identified KMC to train the doctors and paramedical staff of the district prior to the implementation of the National Mental Health Program there. According to him the State Health Department has gone yet another step forward on the path of converting the state into a healthier one.

Dr Kanagasabai said that in the medical curriculum, no importance is given to psychiatry or mental health. But today mental health has become a prime area to be reckoned with utmost importance. Considering this aspect, the government plans to introduce mental health treatment in all the primary health centres in the state.

As per the programme, the Psychiatry Department of the college will train 75 doctors of the district's Primary health centres, Taluk and District headquarters hospitals for basic diagnosis and treatment of Common Mental Disorders and Severe Mental Illness.

He said the main objective of the programme is to ensure availability of minimal mental health care for all, particularly to the most vulnerable and under privileged section of the society. He added that many of the educated persons, especially a certain percent of medical professionals are not fully aware of the mental hygiene and positive mental health.

Later while speaking to Pharmabiz, the dean said nearly one percent of the population in the country suffers from severe mental illness and 15 per cent of the population suffers from common mental disorders. In developed countries, there about 50 to 100 psychiatrists serve for every one million population where as in our country only one or two psychiatrists are looking after one million people.

Dr S Rajarathinam, professor and HoD of Psychiatry, KMC, said the purpose of the programme is to encourage application of mental health knowledge in general health care and in social development and also to promote community partnership in providing this care.

The doctors will be trained in three batches for a period of two weeks. These trained doctors would pass on the knowledge and information to other doctors in the district. Besides 60 paramedical staff, village health nurses and health inspectors will also be trained on case identification, referral and follow up. Along with this, the program includes training for 250 non-medical personnel, including local self-help groups, school teachers and community leaders. They will be imparted training for a period of two days in early identification of psychiatric problems, referral and community support. The health department wants the people who are identified with psychiatric problems to be treated in their community with necessary family and social support.