On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare today launched Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS). The initiative will provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas.

A toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) has been set up across the country allowing callers to select the language of choice for availing services. The calls would be routed to Tele-MANAS cells in the respective state and union territory.

The ministry has informed that Tele-MANAS will be organised in two tier system:

• Tier 1 comprises of state Tele-MANAS cells which include trained counsellors and mental health specialists.
• Tier 2 will comprise of specialists at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)/Medical College resources for physical consultation and/or e-Sanjeevani for audio visual consultation.

Presently there are five regional coordination centres along with 51 State/UT Tele MANAS cells.

The Union Government aims to open at least one Tele-MANAS Cell in each State/UT.

The government of India had announced National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) in the Union Budget 2022-23, acknowledging the mental crisis in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and an urgent need to establish a digital mental health network that will withstand the challenges amplified by the pandemic, Government of India.

The programme includes a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence, with National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) being the nodal centre and International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) providing technology support.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bengaluru and National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHRSC) will provide the technical support.

States/UTs launching Tele Mental Health Programme today include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli and daman and Diu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.