Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin today launched Mananala Nallaatharavu Mandram (MaNaM), a scheme to provide psychological support for the medical college students in the State.
The Chief Minister also launched various other facilities at the Institute of Mental Health in the city.
Considering the risk in the suicides in the State, the mental health support forum is also being set up in all the medical college hospitals and the initiative also aims to train the students to attend to such patients in the right way.
The programme aims at preventing suicides in the State. Earlier, Health Minister Ma.Subramanian said the mental health forums will constitute of a committee of all department heads, assistant professors and students, including the principal of the medical college, the head of the psychiatry department and measures will be taken to improve the
mental health of the students.
Innovative trainings for students’ well-being will be provided, including skill development programmes, he said.
The scheme “MaNaM” will help the students to contact a mental health expert with the helpline 14416 if they require counselling.
The scheme is planned to be expanded to other colleges and schools in the near future.
The Chief Minister also flagged off 75 upgraded ambulances by the GVK EMRI 108 ambulance service, equipped with modern life saving equipments at the Institute.
An intermediate care center for the inmates at a cost of Rs. 2.36 crore was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister. It is a 14 room facility. The already functioning “Half Way Home” is a home for many inmates who are not accepted by the family and was upgraded recently to be launched officially.
