Dr. Charan Teja Koganti

Consultant Psychiatrist

KIMS Hospitals, Kondapur.

Every year we celebrate World Mental Health Day on 10 October. The theme for 2023, set by the World Foundation of Mental Health, is ‘Mental health is a universal human right’. Read it again ! This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community. This right is UNIVERSAL to us all, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other status. The first thing I think is to make mental health care accessible to all. I see two groups of population one with access but stigmatised to seek help and the ones that are in absolute need has no / limited access. Ever since pandemic we see a lot of mental health awareness happening on social media but the downside to that is the reach and educators who aren’t professional.

Even though IRDAI included mental health conditions covered under insurance there are still many companies that reject one’s insurance till date. There can be no universal health coverage without mental health. People with mental health conditions experience a wide range of human rights violations. They experience stigma, discrimination and prejudice which only further worsen their mental health and it’s time to realise that every person suffering from mental illnesses has a right to live with dignity.