Regulations & Policy
Health and defence ministry sign MoU to set up dedicated Tele MANAS cell for armed forces
IMT News Desk -
3 months ago
Health and defence ministry sign MoU to set up dedicated Tele MANAS cell for armed forces
IMT News Desk -
3 months ago
The mental health and well-being of Armed Forces personnel and their families will be addressed
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to facilitate collaboration between the two ministries in operating a special cell of Tele MANAS, the National Telemental Health Helpline of MoH&FW, as a pilot project for two years at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. The MoU was signed by Aradhna Patnaik, AS & MD of MoHFW, and Lt General Daljit Singh, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services.
The special Tele-MANAS Cell was inaugurated on December 1, 2023, at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM in the presence of senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With the signing of the MoU, the mental health and well-being of Armed Forces personnel and their families will be addressed and the Armed Forces beneficiaries will have direct access to specialised care, ensuring that their unique mental health needs are addressed promptly and effectively.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt General Daljit Singh, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, stated that there has been a long-standing need for mental health counselling for armed forces personnel, and now, with the dedicated Tele MANAS cell, armed forces personnel and their families will receive crucial mental health assistance 24x7, addressing their mental health concerns more effectively.
Patnaik, AS & MD of MoH&FW, underscored the significance of attending to the mental health concerns of the armed forces, considering their distinct mental health requirements.
Tele MANAS is the digital extension of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), offering comprehensive, integrated, and inclusive 24/7 tele-mental health services. The initiative provides a toll-free number, 14416, in each State and Union Territory (UT) for easy access to mental health support.
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