4 min readPuneJan 4, 2025 10:33 PM IST
First published on: Jan 4, 2025 at 10:29 AM IST
The increasing focus on addressing mental health issues prompted new health minister Prakash Abitkar to spend over an hour on Friday visiting Pune’s regional mental hospital – among the largest in the country. Despite ambitious plans to establish a psychiatry institute modelled on Bengaluru’s NIMHANS, the minister acknowledged that immediate priorities include tackling staff shortages and maintaining cleanliness.
Abitkar visited the female and male wards and the new modular kitchen, enquiring about the food quality. At the female ward, he complimented patients who had pursued singing as a hobby. Some sang a welcome song while at the kitchen Abitkar took particular interest in the kichadi rice and curry being prepared. “Stress management is extremely important,” he said later while speaking with reporters about the Rs 132 crore plan to model the regional mental hospital on the lines of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Set up in 1907 at Colaba, Mumbai and shifted to the existing premises at Yerwada in 1915, the over century old institution has 938 patients, of which 631 are male and 307 are female. The aim is to ensure adequate relief and rehabilitation and hence as a first visit to Pune after taking charge as health minister Abitkar decided to visit the regional mental hospital.
While the bed strength over the years has been increased from 1,200 to 2,540, the focus according to state health officials was also to rehabilitate mentally ill persons who had recovered with their families. According to Dr Sunil Patil, medical superintendent, Regional Mental Hospital, nearly 361 have been rehabilitated in the past few years. The hospital has a total of 158 structures of which 50 are not in use and almost all the structures barring the male dormitories and administrative block are more than 100 years old.
There are vacancies for posts of psychiatrists, ECG technicians and vocational trainers. Cleanliness is a concern as the agency that was appointed for the work had been changed and a handful were available for the task. The minister also heard complaints about patients not getting hot water while the medical superintendent explained that they now have permission to cut some of the tree branches that covered the solar panels. “We have received permission to cut the tree branches,” he added.
The minister told reporters that he was on a stock-taking exercise and ensuring that the best strategy can be rolled out to upgrade the health machinery. “The regional mental hospital has buildings built during the British era and there has been neglect over the years. I do not have a magic wand, but we are taking concerted efforts to address each issue,” he said.
“The government is seriously considering these concerns and hence my visit is important. Like regional mental hospital there are three other mental hospitals in the state and a message needs to be sent that we are exploring ways and means to ensure the welfare of the mentally ill and provide rehabilitation,” he added.
Abitkar also responded to various media queries on implementing the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act and effective monitoring by the state. “Maharashtra ‘s health department has been working tirelessly to ensure good health of its citizens–there will be certain shortcomings, and we are addressing them,” he said. Regarding the shortage of staff, he added that advertisements for the posts of 1,400 medical officers have received a good response including for the posts of specialists. He also said they were offering incentives to encourage more applications and upgrade health department-run hospitals. Earlier, the minister also paid a surprise visit to Aundh General Hospital and spoke about plans for setting up a cancer hospital.
Maharashtra health minister Prakash Abitkar (Express Photo By Pavan Khengre) 
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