Union Budget 2022: Mental Health, Counselling Care Services Introduced By FM Nirmala Sitharaman

On February 1st, 2022, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for the financial year FY23. She said that the "projection is based on the assumption that there will be no further debilitating pandemic related economic disruption."

In her budget, she also addressed mental health problems induced by the pandemic. She announced that for mental health the Central government will be launching a national Tele mental health programme.

She said, "The pandemic has accentuated mental health problems in people of all ages. To better access to quality mental health counselling and care services, a National Tele Mental Health program will be launched."

She further explained the programme and said a network of 23 tele medi mental health centres of excellence will be operated, with NIMHANS being the nodal centre. She further added that the International Institute of Information technology, Bengaluru (IIIT) will provide technical support.

This will include a network of 23 tele mental health centres of excellence with Nimhans being the nodal centre and IIIT Bangalore providing technology support: FM Nirmala Sitharaman #Budget2022 pic.twitter.com/kvnkgmFSkQ

¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2022

She also said an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem will be rolled out. "It will consist of digital registries of health providers and health facilities, unique health identity and universal access to health facilities," she said.

A study by KFF.org was published in the month of February found out that many adults are reporting specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being due to the ongoing pandemic, such as difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%).

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She said the government is focused on empowering the youths, women and the poor sections in the country, adding that the government's next target is to create 60 lakh jobs.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting her fourth Budget that is aimed at maintaining the world's fastest-growing economy tag for India. The budget comes days before the first phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh, which along with four other states is going to the polls to elect a new state government.

According to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the economy is expected to expand 9.2 per cent in the fiscal year that ends in March, following a contraction of 7.3 per cent in the previous fiscal.

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The Finance Minister also mentioned how the Government has introduced several other programs like the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) and District Mental Health Program (DMHP). During the initial lockdown period, under the mandate of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, the three central mental health institutions, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), and Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) initiated a national helpline to provide support for mental health concerns arising out of COVID-19.

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