Improving Access to Mental Health Care Services at Village Kheri, Haryana: A Step towards Universal Health Coverage

Abstract

To achieve Universal Health Care Coverage, there is need to include more and more services and reach out to more people without financial catastrophe. Inclusion of community mental health care service at primary health care level is a big challenge. Mental health problems are increasing and the access to mental care services is restricted to urban areas. Department of Psychiatry of this institute had initiated a weekly mental health clinic at CHC Raipur Rani. Our village health post is about 2 Kilometres from this CHC. Community Mental health services were started at rural health post Kheri also in an attempt to improve the access to mental health services. Patients were screened in the village and the cases were referred to CHC Raipur Rani. However, patients did not go to CHC, for this problem, due to various operational reasons. We facilitated the process, fixed up appointments with Psychiatrist at Raipur Rania and provided the available transport to take patients to Raipur Rani and bring them back. This resulted in 26 patients having examined, and 4 new patients have been put on treatment. Medicines are being made available from CHC.