Help Provide Access to Mental Health Services in Gadchiroli District

Gadchiroli district in Eastern Maharashtra is an economically backward region, with a population consisting of mostlytribals. The district is also known for Naxalite violence. Health services are very thinly spread in the district. The 2016 National Mental Health Survey by NIMHANS revealed that India has hardly one psychiatrist per 100,000 people, which is extremely inadequate given that it has a large and understated burden of mental illness. Over 11% of Indians need active mental health interventions - in terms of Gadchiroli where the population is 1,072, 942 (according to the 2011 census), this would translate to 120,170 people requiring psycho-social interventions. 

 

At SEARCH, we embarked on our journey of delivering state-of-the-art psychiatric care to vulnerable rural and tribal communities of Gadchiroli district in 2016.

In this 300 kilometer long district, SEARCH is the only regular mental health facility with a full-time psychiatrist. Our program consists of the following major segments: 

a.      Mental Health Clinic providing diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. Counselling services are also provided,including telephone consultations and follow-up. The clinic is equipped with a psychiatrist, an MBBS medical officer and a counsellor. 

b.      Indoor Mental Health Services providing hospital-based admissions and care for severe psychiatric illnesses.  

c.      Block Level Psycho-Social Counselling Clinics (in 9 out of 12 tehsils of Gadchiroli) and Village-based Addiction Management Camps. 

d.      Mental Health Research to address knowledge and implementation gaps in tribal and rural mental health.   

8,303 Consultations in the Mental Health Clinic so far 

214 Indoor Care Admissions in 2019-21 with an Average Stay of 4.7 Days per Patient

10,114 Patient Consultations in the Block Counselling Clinics

416 Village Addiction Management Camps Conducted Serving 5741 Patients 

The team has recently conducted a Community-based Epidemiological Study of 1935 individuals, the first of its kind in nearly three decades, to estimate the prevalence of mental health disorders in a tribal community in India.

In order to reach the ones who are unaware / hesitant to come to the clinic, the team has also begun conducting Mental Health Community Camps in the remote tribal villages of Dhanora block in Gadchiroli.

Mangesh’s Story 

Mangesh* (name changed to protect privacy) had had a difficult few months- his father had recently passed away and his mother was going through cancer treatment. As an only child, it was tough to experience all these situations at the same time. It also didn’t help that Mangesh did not have a job and that his wife had left him two years ago. 

When Mangesh first visited the SEARCH ‘Maa Danteshwari’ Hospital, he came along with two friends on a bike. He looked helpless and scared and was not confident even about riding the bike on his own. When he was waiting outside the OPD, he was constantly restless and did not make eye contact with anyone. His blood investigations revealed that he was physiologically normal, though he felt very weak. 

When a psychiatric examination was done, Mangesh was observed to sit with a hunched bank, with his hands clasped together and talking in a low tone. He constantly looked scared. He also had episodes of increase in heartbeat, fear and sweating . He was diagnosed with a condition called panic attack disorder. 

He was prescribed medical treatment and attended regular counselling sessions as well. Mangesh’s condition improved over the course of a few months. Immediate improvement was seen in his posture and his way of speaking. He gradually began to come to the hospital alone on the bike and began speaking of things beyond his fears. Soon, Mangesh spoke of his plan of starting a confectionary business along with four of his friends. The psychiatrist and counsellors could observe that he was now doing very well mentally. 

While Mangesh still comes to the Hospital for occasional follow up visits, he has by and large overcome his condition and is a successful businessman today.