Delhi Opens First Brain Health Clinic For Mental Healthcare, 10 More Planned For Each District

The Delhi Government has set up a brain health clinic at Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka. The state government plans to have one such clinic in each of the 11 districts of Delhi (East, West, North, South, North-East, North-West, South-East, South-West, New-Delhi, Central, and Shahdara) with Dwarka falling in the South-west district.  

These will offer neurological and mental health-related services, including screening and therapy for dementia, Parkinson’s, and epilepsy, among other issues, and provide counseling and follow-up care, according to PTI.

Mental health issues are generally neglected until they surface in a physical illness form. This is why more awareness about mental health and easily accessible services are required for timely intervention. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 14 per cent of the elderly population (aged 60 and above) lives with a mental health issue or disorder.

Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “The aim of this department is to provide timely diagnosis and treatment of problems related to mental and neurological health. This initiative is not only technologically advanced but also symbolises our awareness and commitment towards mental health.”

He added: "This is not just a facility, it is a mission. Whenever you face a brain-related problem, come here. Don't hide or delay treatment. Similar centres will be opened in every district.”

The initiative has been taken based on the recommendation of the National Task Force of the NITI Aayog and with the support of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS).

Ayushman Bharat Yojana: Last month, on April 10, the state government launched the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Delhi, which includes health insurance coverage on hospitalization and other healthcare services including mental health, AYUSH, etc., at the health centres, called Arogya Mandirs.

The scheme offers cashless treatment at the empanelled hospitals. The scheme is now available for all seniors aged 70 and above, and they need the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Card to avail of the services, the government started a mobile van registration campaign beginning this month. Under this initiative, mobile vans would be operating in all 70 assembly constituencies to provide ease of registration to senior citizens.