Budget 2022: FM welcomes National Tele Mental Health Programme, here's what experts have to say

Recognising the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on people's mental health, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Budget 2022 speech that the Centre will be launching a National Tele Mental Health programme.

Also watch: Budget 2022: Govt to launch tele-mental health program: all you need to know

The Finance Minister said that the National Tele Mental Health programme would include a network of 23 Tele mental health centres of excellence. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) will be the nodal centre and IIT Bangalore will provide technological support for the mental health programme.

Here's what experts feel about the big announcement:

"The use of telemedicine to diagnose and treat mental health patients has proved to be highly effective. Given the shortage of mental health professionals, especially in rural areas, telemedicine will greatly enhance accessibility for patients requiring psychiatric help."- Dr. Rana Mehta, Partner and Leader Healthcare, PwC India

"The national tele-mental health program announced by the FM in this year's budget is a commendable move. Alongside economical needs, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of physical and mental well-being. It will help people prioritise mental health and reduce the stigma associated with it." -Zahara Kanchwalla, Co-founder & CEO, Rite KnowledgeLabs

"National Tele Mental Health Program for the Mental Health Counselling is another great initiative by the government as people have suffered a lot during the lockdown and pandemic. This can surely degrade the rate of depression and other mental health disorders among the people." - Kabir Bansal, Founder and Director, Medvraksh