Dehradun, October 10
After admitting her 28-year-old son Rajinder at the state’s first mental health institute, Saroj Devi is temporarily at ease.

For the past 10 years, her son has been suffering from psychotic disorder that could not be diagnosed. The family lived in denial for several years until neighbours suggested institutional care. Now, the mother and son stay at the general ward.

A year after it was established, the State Mental Health Institute at Selaqui is yet to provide complete psychiatry treatment to patients.

The hospital has been hit hard by acute shortage of mental health professionals and absence of Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT), an important requirement for a psychiatry unit.

Legalised therapy is essential for patients suffering from bipolar disorders. If Saroj’s son does not respond to medication, she would be hard pressed to take her son to other mental institutes outside the state, an uphill task for a rural woman who has fought hard to admit her son to the hospital in the first place.

“We are battling against several misconceptions. Most people believe that once a person develops a mental illness, he or she can never be cured.

“If the illness is detected early, the chances of stability increase manifold,” said Dr JS Bisht, psychiatrist, Doon Hospital and State Mental Institute.

Normally, families of mental patients are dependent on traditional healers. Those suffering from epilepsy are usually confined to separate rooms or taken to seers and traditional healers for treatment.

Some may be lucky to catch the attention of doctors conducting health camps in the hills, the only method used to detect mentally ill patients there.

In Doon Hospital, there is an ever-growing population of patients suffering from anxiety and depression in the age group of 20-40 years.

Limited trained manpower in the field of mental health still remains to be tackled. The institute has only three psychiatrists and one Deputy Chief Medical Officer.

Dr JS Bisht, psychiatrist, has the additional responsibility of Doon Hospital and is also the member of the Mental Health Authority that was constituted a few days earlier.

“As per my assessment, the state requires around 600 mental 
health professionals and we have only seven personnel in government and private hospitals.

“Though the number of patients seeking advice at the OPD of the Selaqui hospital is growing, the mental health facilities are only concentrated around Dehradun,” said Principal Secretary, Health, Keshav Desi Raju.

The institute is yet to set up pathology laboratories at the campus and even the services of a trained psychologist are absent at the hospital.

The role of a psychologist is important when patients have to be counselled and before and after the treatment. A psychologist can undertake psycho-diagnosis and assess levels of mental retardation.

A large number of epidemiological surveys done in India on mental disorders have demonstrated the prevalence of mental morbidity in rural and urban areas of the country. Similar studies need to be carried out in the state to ascertain the problem and its prevalence in the state.

“The studies will help us focus on the problem and its prevalence among various groups. For example, a large number of teenagers, who come to Doon Hospital, suffer from anxiety and substance abuse. The hidden cause may be much more and so, we need to focus on this group as well,” said Dr Bisht.

He added that teenagers who suffer from minor depression are at a higher risk of suffering from mental problems in their adult life.

Haridwar, October 10
After spending 11 days, a delegation of Russians left Dev Sanskriti University here for Moscow. They had an ‘experience of a lifetime which was divine and enchanting’.

The group, which included a Russian parliamentarian, professors, doctors, engineers and administrative officers, was on a visit to Dev Sanskriti University to learn about various Indian therapies.

They took tremendous interest in learning about yagya, yoga, natural therapy, Panchkarma, pranik healing and acupressure and desired that these natural techniques be put to use in their country too.

Such was the impact of Indian culture that most members urged Shantikunj head Dr Pranav Pandya and Shailji to give them Hindi names.

Terming that the collaboration with the Russians was in sync with the friendship between India and Russia, Chancellor SP Mishra said that Russians were so overwhelmed by Indian therapies, the art of yoga and culture that they didn’t want to go to their homeland so soon.

In turn, they were assured cooperation in taking Indian remedies and traditions to Russia.

Dr Alexander Vakshinsko, a professor at the Russian University, has assured that land would be alloted for setting up the Indian Traditional Therapy Centre in Russia on the lines of Shantikunj.

“India is rich in culture, art, spirituality and information technology. The country has been long-time friend of Russia and both countries have a special bond that is reflected in this visit” said Dr Alexander.

“It feels great to be in India particularly in the serene environment of Uttarakhand. Haridwar is a city blessed with natural beauty and devotion and it is difficult to leave this wonderful place,” said Crocher, a member of the group while leaving the university premises.

Dehradun, October 10
Raising their voice against the continuous felling of trees in Dehradun in recent times, members of the Citizens for Green Doon, a voluntary organisation comprising long-time residents of the city, today took out a march against Dehradun Forest Division’s act of facilitating excessive cutting of trees in the valley.

The protesters, who carried banners with ‘Wake up Forest Department’ written on them ended their protest at the Dehradun Forest Division office on Tilak Road after submitting a memorandum to the forest authorities seeking a check on indiscriminate felling of trees.

One of the protesters, Dr Nitin Pandey, held that as per the Forest Department’s statistics, very few trees have been planted as compensatory afforestation against the trees cut for various developmental activities in the city.

He urged the Dehradun DFO not to give any more permission for tree cutting until the deficit was made up.

A denizen of Dehradun, Raj Kanwar, expressed concern over the erosion of greenery in the city. He said the city, once known for its litchi orchards, is no more the same after losing most of its fruit trees.

Dehradun DFO BK Gangte took the memorandum and reiterated his department’s commitment towards restoring greenery in Dehradun.