Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Emoneeds Budget 2024-25: Prioritizing Mental Health

Attribution: Dr Neerja Agarwal, Psychologist and Co-founder Emoneeds

While the interim budget lacked specific policies or initiatives for the mental health sector, we remain optimistic that post-election, the full budget will address this critical area. With approximately 150 million Indians requiring mental health care services and a stark shortage of professionals – only 0.3 psychiatrists, 0.07 psychologists, and 0.07 social workers per 100,000 people – the need is urgent. On a positive note, we commend the government’s commitment to other health initiatives, including the extension of Ayushman Bharat, consolidation of maternal and child healthcare schemes, and the remarkable 1-lakh crore corpus for private sector R&D. These efforts reflect a commendable focus on the nation’s well-being, growth and innovation.

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