Itanagar: A one-day awareness programme on Mental Healthcare Act 2017, its provisions and implementation for the administrators, law enforcing agencies, medical professionals and NGOs was conducted by Mukhya Mantri Mansik Swasthya Yojana, Arunachal Pradesh in the Tawang Deputy Commissioner’s office premises at Tawang on Wednesday, official sources said.
Chairing the programme, Tawang DC Sang Phuntsok while noting that awareness on mental health is very important, said: ‘We are concerned for physical health but condition of physical health depends largely on mental health of an individual. We all have the right to be happy, but we cannot be happy by harming others. We are all interdependent, and should have a kind, compassionate heart to be healthy – physically and mentally,’ he said.
The DC further said that the educational institutions give importance to physical hygiene but emotional hygiene is not taken care of, adding that ‘we all at our own level should work in this field to develop better emotional hygiene for a better society’.
Attending as the resource person, Chief Executive Officer, State Mental Health Authority, Arunachal Pradesh Dr Haniya Payee highlighted about the ‘only’ mental health hospital of the state and the overall mental health scenario of Arunachal Pradesh.
Advocate Tashi Dhondup speaking of the provisions and implementation of Mental Healthcare Act 2017 said any person suffering from mental illness has the right to live in society without any discrimination.
Earlier in his welcome address, Dr UK Baruah, Programme Assistant, Mental Health Programme informed that Tawang district is not enlisted in State Mental Health Programme, and initiatives are being taken to extend the programme in all the uncovered districts of the state.
He also requested the NGOs working in the field of mental health to get registered with the State Mental Health Authority so that they can avail their service in providing better service to those in
need, the sources added.
