Advocacy programme on mental health for BDOs held in Madurai
The M.S. Chellamuthu Trust organized a mental health advocacy program for government officials in Madurai to mark the anniversary of the Erwadi fire tragedy. The session emphasized the treatability of mental illness and the need for community-level awareness and support.
Why it matters
Integrating mental health awareness into rural development administration helps reduce stigma and improves access to psychiatric care for vulnerable populations.
M.S. Chellamuthu Trust & Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, organised an advocacy programme on mental health for the staff of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which included Block Development Officers (BDOs), engineers and other stakeholders.
The programme was organised to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Erwadi fire accident that claimed the lives of several persons with mental disabilities.
S. Satheesh Kumar delivered the felicitation address and emphasised the importance of strengthening mental health awareness at the grassroots level through the Rural Development Department.
C. Ramasubramanian, founder and senior consultant psychiatrist of the trust, delivered the special address on the importance of mental health in society.
He explained that mental illness could affect anyone regardless of age, gender, education or social status.
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