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Health
Chhattisgarh Initiates Review of Mental Health Services Amid Staff and Medicine Shortages
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 24 Sep 2026, 04:03 AM
👁 13
The state government of Chhattisgarh has launched a review of its mental health infrastructure after reporting shortages of qualified personnel and essential medicines.
The Chhattisgarh health department announced a systematic review of the state's mental health facilities after officials highlighted a growing deficit of psychiatrists, psychologists and other specialised staff. The assessment aims to map existing capacities, identify gaps and propose corrective measures within the next few weeks.
According to the department, many district hospitals and community health centres are operating with insufficient numbers of mental health professionals, and a persistent shortage of essential psychotropic medicines has forced patients to travel long distances for treatment. These constraints have reportedly increased waiting times and reduced the quality of care for vulnerable populations.
In response, the state government has set up an expert committee comprising senior psychiatrists, public‑health administrators and representatives from the National Health Mission. The committee will evaluate staffing norms, explore options for recruiting additional personnel, and seek central‑government assistance to secure a steady supply of medicines.
The review also includes a plan to strengthen tele‑psychiatry services, leveraging existing digital health platforms to reach remote districts where specialist availability is especially limited. Officials said the findings will be presented to the cabinet by the end of the quarter, with implementation steps to follow.
Stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, have welcomed the initiative, noting that a focused evaluation could lay the groundwork for more resilient mental health care across Chhattisgarh.
According to the department, many district hospitals and community health centres are operating with insufficient numbers of mental health professionals, and a persistent shortage of essential psychotropic medicines has forced patients to travel long distances for treatment. These constraints have reportedly increased waiting times and reduced the quality of care for vulnerable populations.
In response, the state government has set up an expert committee comprising senior psychiatrists, public‑health administrators and representatives from the National Health Mission. The committee will evaluate staffing norms, explore options for recruiting additional personnel, and seek central‑government assistance to secure a steady supply of medicines.
The review also includes a plan to strengthen tele‑psychiatry services, leveraging existing digital health platforms to reach remote districts where specialist availability is especially limited. Officials said the findings will be presented to the cabinet by the end of the quarter, with implementation steps to follow.
Stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, have welcomed the initiative, noting that a focused evaluation could lay the groundwork for more resilient mental health care across Chhattisgarh.