Health and defence ministries sign MoU to launch Tele MANAS cell

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Defence to operate a special cell of Tele MANAS, National Telemental Health Helpline of MoHFW, as a pilot project for a period of two years at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune.

Tele MANAS cell is the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), offering dedicated mental health assistance for all Armed Forces beneficiaries across the country 24x7.

The initiative was first launched in October 2022 for the general people. The Tele MANAS helpline, operative under the aegis of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru, has received over 10 lakh calls since its launch, with an average of 3,500 calls a day.

The initiative provides a toll-free number, 14416, in each State and Union Territory (UT) for easy access to mental health support.

Currently, India has 51 operational Tele MANAS cells functioning across all 36 states and union territories, offering services in 20 different languages.

The data suggested a significant demand for mental health services and underscored the importance of addressing mental health issues comprehensively and inclusively, particularly in specialised contexts like the Armed Forces.