GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 66
TO BE ANSWERED ON 9TH NOVEMBER, 2010
Survey of Mentally Challenged Persons in Karnataka

66. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a)  Whether Government has conducted any survey to find out the number of mentally challenged persons in Karnataka;

(b)  If so, the outcome thereof; and

(c)  What treatment and other facilities are being provided by Government to such persons in the State?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)

(a)& (b): As per the 58th round (2002) report of National Sample Survey, the number of mentally challenged persons in Karnataka is estimated to be 98 per 1,00,000 population.

(c) Government of India is supporting implementation of District Mental Health Programme in Chamrajnagar, Gulbarga, Karwar, Shimoga districts of Karnataka to provide community mental health services which include detection of mentally challenged persons and referring them for welfare and supportice services in the State. In addition, the psychiatry wings of Karnataka Institute of Medical Services, Hubli, Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore, Government Medical College, Bellary and Mysore Medical College, Mysore have been funded for upgradation and Karnataka Institute of Mental Health, Dharwad has been funded for modernization under the National Mental Health Programme. These schemes provide for upgrading the tertiary mental health care infrastructure in the State for mentally ill persons including mentally challenged persons. Government of India also funds NIMHANS, Bangalore for providing high end services for patients with mental illness including the mentally challenged, developing specialists for diagnosis and care of such persons, and cutting edge research in the field of mental disorders.