Transformation will be brought in mental health centres in the State in keeping with the times, Minister for Health Veena George has said.
Steps for scientific renovation of the centres and their basic infrastructure development will be expedited, she said.
The Minister was presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of mental health centres on Tuesday.
She said an expert committee would be appointed to submit a report for the transformation of the centres.
The Health Additional Director had been tasked with integrating the operations of the three mental health centres in Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram. Steps for basic infrastructure development for ₹100 crore in the first phase as part of a ₹400-crore master plan for the Kozhikode mental health centre, ₹98 crore for Thrissur in two phases, and ₹100 crore for Thiruvananthapuram would be taken up. Steps to achieve this target would be completed in a time-bound manner.
Ms. George said the rehabilitation of those residents of the centres who were not accepted by their families despite the improvement in their condition would be taken up with the support of other departments. Action would be taken to strengthen the compound wall of the centres and improve security measures. CCTV facility would be installed in all the centres. New posts would be created and those that were discontinued, such as that of cooks, would be restored.
V.K. Prasanth, MLA; Health Principal Secretary and other department officials; District Collectors of Thrissur and Kozhikode; district medical officers; and mental health centre superintendents took part in the meeting.
