by Mayukh Goswami 

Mangaldai : With the process of nomination papers for the second phase of polls has been over on March 17 and the picture for poll battles are totally clear The Darrang and Udalguri chapter of Journalists’ Association of Assam (JAA) and several other socially sensitive non government organizations and individuals of the area have raised their demands before the major political parties engaged for the poll battle on April 1 next in the two neighbouring districts to include the mental health issue in their poll manifestos with top priority .

Talking to this reporter Srawan Kumar Jha and Narayan Deka , both general secretaries of the scribe body have expressed grave concern over the growing cases of mental illness in the state in general and Darrang-Udalguri in particular and the sheer ignorance of the policy makers in addressing the issue . The premier scribe body while drawing attention to the candidates of the major political parties including the BJP , Congress , BPF , AIUDF etc have demanded inclusion of this vital issue in their poll manifestos and ensure one Psychiatrist , at least three paramedical staff and regular supply of necessary medicines in each of the peripheral Primary Health Centre (PHC )s of the said districts .

Moreover they also demanded separate indoor set up in the district hospitals and appointment of three regular Psychiatrists and necessary paramedical staff and also to ensure uninterrupted medicine supply so that mentally ill patients most of whom are economically weaker section are not deprived of their rights for health . Several other public bodies including Chandra Kanta Nath , president village level mental health committee , Dakshin Chuburi , Ramchandra Nath , village level mental health committee , Keot Chuba under ‘SATRA’ , Sipajhar , veteran physician and writer Dr AN Deb have also raise the same demands before the political parties. It is pertinent to mention here that in sharp contrast to the recommendations of the World Health Organization to appoint one Psychiatrist against every ten thousand population , Darrang district has so far recorded only two Psychiatrists both in the district hospital against population exceeding ten lakhs . On the other hand according to a district hospital source , medicines in the department are not supplied centrally unlike other departments in stead purchased locally under NHM which resulted in shortage of medicines for nearly two months every year during the procuring process Same scenario is also reported in Udalguri and other districts of the State