KOCHI: The state is on its way to losing over Rs 3 crores allotted for mental heath development under the 11th Five-year Plan, while hundreds of mental health patients are rotting in rehabilitation centres in the state owing to lack of funds and physicians.An amount of `3.2 crore - 1.51 crore each to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital and the Thrissur Medical College Hospital - has been allotted under the Scheme for Manpower Development in Mental Health (Scheme B). The Five-Year Plan is nearing its end and the authorities are yet to utilise the funds. Under the National Guranprogramme, each of these medical colleges could have set up units of psychiatry and psychiatric nursing. The amount was being earmarked for providing infrastructure and appointing staff at these units within the 11th plan period. After which the state government should take over the units. Meanwhile, the government said that the problem prevails due to the staff shortage. Health Minister Adoor Prakash said: “We have not been able to find Associate Professors for these units. This has led to the delay in launching them. The absence of faculty and doctors in psychiatry is hampering our plans. We hope to resolve it at the earliest.”The setting up of psychiatric units would have been possible if more seats were allotted to the Department of Psychiatry. As of now the state has only 15 seats in psychiatry in the government sector. If the programme comes up, the state would immediately get as many as four new MD seats in psychiatry along with the 40 seats in Psychiatric nursing.
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