The Wenlock Hospital admits an average of four homeless persons with acute mental illness every month.
| Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
The Dakshina Kannada district is yet to establish an emergency care and recovery centre for homeless mentally ill persons. A notification for having the centre in Dakshina Kannada and 26 other districts was issued by the State government in June 2025.
As per the notification, dated June 2, 2025, the Aaladamara Foundation has set up the centres in Chitradurga, Yadgir, Kolar, and Bidar districts. An expression of interest (EOI) was called from NGOs to set up the centres in 27 districts.
Each centre should comprise of a psychiatrist, a social worker, a nurse, four ward assistants. The assigned NGO should make use of the medicines, treatment, and food provided at the district hospital and take care of persons with acute mental illness. The NGO should also provide vocational training to such patients. The NGO will be given ₹20 lakh per annum to run the centre.
The notification states that district-level Mental Health Committees should shortlist the NGOs, which meet the government guidelines, and forward it to the State-level committee, which is headed by a retired High Court judge. The selected NGO will then be allowed to run the centre, the notification stated.
In a recent meeting chaired by Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader recently at the Government Wenlock Hospital, it was pointed that this centre was yet to be operational. An official from the hospital said on an average four homeless persons with acute mental illness get admitted to the hospital. Though the hospital was giving them the treatment, there was a need for a dedicated centre that will help in providing better care and rehabilitation, the official said.
A district health official said EOI have been invited five times, and there has been no response from the NGOs. The EOI will be called for the sixth time shortly, the district official said
Published – August 03, 2026 06:26 pm IST
