Institute of Mental Health, Madras
A commemorative postage stamp on the Bicentenary of the Institute of Mental Health Psychiatry, Kilpauk, Chennai, 2nd largest Institute in India, offering mental health services to Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry :
Issued by India
Issued on Sep 23, 1994
Issued for : Over the last two centuries, the Institute has come a long way and diversified to integrate mental health with community development in its endeavour to promote positive mental health and dispel misery. The Department of Posts is privileged to bring out a postage stamp to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Institute.
Design Credits :
Stamp : Shri C.R. Pakrashi based on the material supplied by sponsors.
FDC & cancellation : Institute of Mental Health, Madras.
Type : Stamp, Postal Used
Colour : Two Colours
Denomination : 200 Paise
Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.
Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.
Perforation : 13 x 13
Paper : Imported Un W/M adhesive Gravure Coated Stamp Paper in reels of 47 cms width.
Number of stamps Printed : 1 Million
Number per issue sheet : 35
Printing Process : Photogravure
Printer : India Security Press
About :
- The Institute of Mental Health, as it is known today, came into existence in the year 1974 under a private management. In those early years, it was exclusively meant for the mentally ill and most of the inmates were Europeans. Over time, admission was extended to Indians and in 1922, the management was taken over by the Government. With advances in psychiatry and the growing significance of mental health promotion, the Government Mental Hospital was rechristened The Institute of Mental Health in the seventies, opening a new chapter of modernisation in the history of this institution, giving primacy to a positive approach for the enhancement of mental health.
- From a modest establishment and a limited role in its nascent years the institute has grown into one of the largest of its kind in India rendering mental health services to a population of about 1800 inmates and 400 out patients, every day. The psychiatric social workers, recreational therapists, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, skilled training staff and other personnel apart from psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses, from an army of over 800 professionals functioning in coordination and contributing their own specific knowledge and skills to provide optimum mental health facilities. The institute also offers special clinical services for child guidance and problems of old age, neuropsychiatry and neurosis, etc. In response to the growing menace of drug abuse and alcoholism, a de-addiction clinic and ward have been added in recent years. A family therapy unit is expected to come up shortly where the family members of a patient would be able to stay and participate in the process of treatment.
- As an academic centre, the institute meets the training, teaching and research needs of the profession, adding to the body of knowledge in this field, and has come to be recognised for Ph.D. It is doing yeoman services in the areas of community health care and community based mental health programmes as well.
- Text Source : Institute of Mental Health, Madras.
