Health Minister Prakash Abitkar Orders Inspection Of Mental Hospitals; Plans ₹132 Crore Upgrade For Yerwada Mental Hospital | FPJ Photo
Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar has issued orders to inspect all four mental hospitals in the state following his visit to the Regional Mental Hospital, Yerawada, on January 3, 2025, where he discovered several flaws.
During the visit, he expressed significant concern over the facility’s unhygienic conditions, poor patient care, and infrastructural neglect. He warned officials to take strict action against those responsible for misconduct and negligence.
On Saturday, directives were sent to all the directors of health services in the districts of Pune, Thane, Nagpur, and Kolhapur by Dr. Vijay Baviskar, the additional director of health services.
Pune, Thane, Nagpur, and Kolhapur are the districts with mental hospitals. The deputy directors of these mental hospitals have been instructed to send a detailed report outlining corrective actions by January 7, 2025.
They have been asked to review services such as outpatient services, inpatient services, cleanliness, food services, medication availability, Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities, telemedicine services, and more.
Dr. Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services for the Pune region, said, “Starting Monday, we will begin drafting the detailed report. These activities take time, and it won’t be possible to complete everything in a day. While we will surely send the reports, it will not be feasible to submit them by January 7.”
During the press conference in Pune, Minister Abitkar also announced plans to upgrade RMH Pune to the standards of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru. This initiative includes infrastructure development, advanced treatment facilities, and the establishment of a postgraduate institute to ensure the availability of specialized medical professionals. A budget of ₹132 crore has been proposed for enhancing the state’s four mental hospitals.
