World-class facilities, more of the human touch
Pranab Ghosh interviews Dr Rajesh Rastogi, senior psychiatrist and head, department of psychiatry, Safdarjung Hospital and VM Medical College, New Delhi.
Does the mental health care in India meet the world standard?
Quality-wise, we get world-class psychiatric treatment. The expertise available is good, the human touch is much more, and the medicines and treatment facilities are at par with any developed nation.
Apart from hospitals, where can a psychiatrist work?
One can work with international agencies like WHO, Unicef etc, or with PSUs and government setups like jails, or large organisations 
that have their own medical facilities. One can also set up private practice. Other avenues are research or becoming an adviser at pharmaceutical companies producing psychoactive drugs.
How important is the role of a psychiatrist in the Indian medical set-up?
These days, due to increase in stress levels, mental health problems are on the rise. So psychiatrists have an important role to play. Lots of chronic medical patients develop psychiatric problems, hence consultation-liaison psychiatry has an important role.
How has the method of treatment changed over the years?
Previously, only a few drugs were available and our India Lunacy Act of 1912 was outdated. Now newer psychotropic drugs are available here. Treatment by ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) and psychotherapy is available. We got a more humane and updated Indian Mental Health Act in 1987.
What are the challenges facing the profession?
Shortage of manpower is one major challenge. Add to this the uneven distribution of psychiatrists in rural and urban areas.
The undergraduate medical curriculum needs a change, too — teaching hours need to be increased and psychiatry should be made a separate discipline, not under medicine, for examination purposes.
Society (even now) stigmatises people suffering from mental disorder. This has to change, and the stereotyped presentation of mental patients in films or plays should also be avoided.
Author: HT Horizons
Date: 13th Jan., 2010
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