Governor Tamilisai calls for better awareness on mental health issues
Hyderabad, July 31: Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday called for increased awareness on mental health issues.
She said that due to lack of mental health awareness, many people and their families have been suffering silently.
“Mental health is an essential and integral part of health. It is just not the absence of the mental illness. It is the foundation for wellbeing and effective functioning of individuals,” she added.
The Governor was virtually launching the 7th annual conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society, Telangana State (TSPSYCON-2021), from the Raj Bhavan, here.
She stated that mental health is one of the leading non-communicable diseases ailing the world. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders witnessed a massive increase since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor said that if diagnosed and treated early, it will not result in serious consequences. It is important to acknowledge mental illness as a health issue and seek the professional help without any hesitation.
“The family members and others must not stigmatize the mental illness. Instead they should support the affected and help them recover by seeking professional medical help,” she added.
Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed concern that every 6th Indian needs help on mental health.
“Studies are indicating that India is likely to incur a huge loss of around 1.3 Trillion US dollars between 2012 and 2030 due to these mental health issues affecting large number of people,” she added.
The Governor lauded that some celebrities have started openly discussing about the mental health issues and the trauma that they went through and how they bounced back with the medical help. She termed it as a welcome sign. 
Quality medical education is crucial for country’s health system: Governor 
Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday said that quality medical education is vital for the country’s healthcare system.The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to have more number of doctors and other healthcare workers across the world.
The Governor was addressing the Graduation Ceremony of MediCiti Institute of Medical Sciences, here.
She said that there was tremendous increase in the number of medical seats ever since Shri Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister of the country in 2014.
Around 30,000 MBBS seats and 24,000 PG medical seats were created additionally in our country since 2014. The Governor pointed out that the number of UG medical seats in the country will be around One Lakh in near future.
Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan has also appreciated the Telangana Government’s decision to establish six more medical colleges in our State.
The National Medical Commission established by the Central government is heralding accountability and transparency in the medical education in the country.
The Governor called upon the young passing out medical graduates to uphold the highest standards of medical professional ethics.
The Governor presented gold medals and other medals to the meritorious students as part of the Graduation Ceremony.
