On the occasion of World Mental Health Day (October 10, 2022), the Indian Government rolled out the Tele-MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) initiative, this is for providing free on-call affordable mental health services.

This facility was launched by governor of Karnataka Thawar Chand Gehlot at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, aims to make a 24×7 mental health assistance service, specifically for people in remote areas.

Key facts about Tele-Manas

The Tele-MANAS initiative is a round-the-clock mental health service that aims to increase access to mental health across India especially in remote area.

It will boost access to mental health service in India by providing services like counselling, consultation with specialist & e-prescriptions.

It aspire to make mental healthcare services accessible to the remote and un served areas in the country.

Tele-Manas was first announced by the Central Government during the 2022-23 Budget, COVID-19 pandemic possibly had a major impact on the mental health and  responsible for the mental health crisis in India.

Initially, the service will be launched in 20 states and union territories. It will later be expanded to include other parts of the country as well.

One can call the helpline number 14416 and 1-800-91-4416 to access the service.

The callers will first connect to the interactive voice response (IVRS) and then the call will be transferred to a trained counsellor in specific areas.

In case require, callers will be connected to the specialists like psychiatric, psychiatric nurse, or clinical psychologists.

If the caller requires an in-person service, he/she will be referred to a health and wellness center / primary healthcare / tertiary healthcare.

Tele-MANAS initiative will be the digital arm of the National Mental Health Programme and District Mental Health Programme.

The nodal center for its implementation is National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (NIMHANS).

Technical support will be provided by IIT Bombay for this service .

The Tele-Manas initiative will also involve five regional coordination centers and 23 mentoring institutes like PGIMER, AIIMS and Delhi-based Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences.