Srinagar: Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Jammu and Kashmir, Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan on Wednesday reviewed the proposed establishment of a Union Territory-level Mental Health Authority under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
The meeting discussed the statutory requirements, institutional framework and operational arrangements needed to constitute and operationalise the authority.
Deliberations focused on strengthening regulation of mental healthcare services, ensuring implementation of the Act, safeguarding the rights of persons with mental illness and improving coordination among departments and stakeholders.
The meeting also reviewed the functioning of Tele-MANAS services across Jammu and Kashmir, with particular focus on service delivery, call management and referral mechanisms.
Khan stressed the need to ensure timely counselling, appropriate referrals and continuity of care for people seeking support through the tele-mental health platform.
He called for coordinated efforts and timely action by all stakeholders to operationalise the authority and strengthen mental healthcare services across the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Heads of Psychiatry Departments at Government Medical Colleges Jammu and Srinagar, and members of the NHM’s Mental Health Programme Management Unit.
