The Odisha Health Department has decided to depute psychiatric specialists and clinical psychologists to various district jails at least four days in a month. The health personnel who have been assigned duties of visiting the prisons would also be extending de-addiction services in the prisons.

Officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department said two separate notifications have been issued in this regard to extending mental healthcare to prison inmates. Filling up of the backlog of vacancies for the posts of psychiatric specialists and clinical psychologists is being carried out on a regular basis, they said.

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Chief district medical officers and public health officers have been directed to prominently display the helpline number of the ‘Tele Manas Cell’ for prison inmates to seek help regarding mental health issues.

Meanwhile, the state’s prison administration has proposed the engagement on a contractual basis the services of psychiatric social workers as defined under Section 2 (x) of the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 in Odisha’s jails.

The services of holders of a postgraduate degree in clinical psychology could also be utilised on a similar basis. Regular medical practitioners holding an MBBS degree could also be trained in the provision of basic mental health care services by experts from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). A detailed proposal in this regard is being sent to the Home Department for its approval, the state Prison Directorate officials said.

The jail inmates are protected by Jail Manual, 2016 provisions. The manual mandates the jail authorities to take proper care of the health of the inmates. Besides, the mental health act has also made it mandatory to extend psychiatric treatment to prisoners suffering from depression or mental sickness, according to rights activist, Akhand.

There is an acute shortage of mental healthcare personnel and counsellors for rendering proper care and attention to mentally ill inmates. Though the state government has begun to depute mental health personnel to district jails, mental healthcare mostly eludes prisoners lodged in the sub divisional jails in the State, he added.