An ambulance for the lone mental hospital of the state, located in Midpu in Papum Pare district, was flagged off last Saturday by Director of Health Services (DHS) Dr M Lego. This hospital is a very important institution in the state and needs more support from the government of Arunachal Pradesh. The health department acquired land for the establishment of this hospital way back in 1989. Unfortunately, a major chunk of the land has been grabbed by land sharks. First of all, the state government should try to reclaim the encroached land, and secondly, protect the land allotted for the mental hospital from potential encroachers.
Mental health is increasingly becoming an important subject even here in Arunachal Pradesh. Cases related to mental health are also rising in the state. The lone mental hospital in Midpu will have to be upgraded to match the growing demands. Apart from improving the infrastructure and facilities, manpower also will have to be improved. More professionally trained mental health experts should be hired. Also, there is a need for a bigger publicity campaign to create awareness about mental health. Many suffer from it but are reluctant to get treated due to fear of social stigmatisation. Institutions like the Midpu mental hospital can play an important role in this regard. It is time for the state government to focus on upgrading this hospital on priority.