President Droupadi Murmu celebrated the golden jubilee of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, applauding its leadership in mental health and neurosciences, according to a PIB press release.
In her address, President Murmu praised NIMHANS for its innovative research, academic excellence, and outstanding patient care. She highlighted notable initiatives such as the Bellary model of community-based mental healthcare and the Tele MANAS platform, which offers remote counseling services. Tele MANAS, operational through 53 centers across India, has supported nearly 17 lakh people in their preferred languages over the past two years.
As reported by theprint, the President emphasized the growing global awareness of mental health, contrasting it with the stigma historically associated with mental illness. This shift, she noted, has encouraged more individuals to seek help for mental health challenges, a critical development as mental health issues reach epidemic proportions globally.
She also commended NIMHANS’s child and adolescent mental health platform, SAMVAAD, and underscored the importance of integrating traditional Indian practices like yoga with modern healthcare systems to address both mental and physical well-being effectively.
Concluding her speech, President Murmu reaffirmed the significance of mental health in building a healthy society and expressed confidence in NIMHANS’s continued commitment to delivering high-quality care.