MADURAI: A proposal to start a two-year practical learning-based MPhil course in Clinical Psychology at two medical colleges in Tamil Nadu is yet to take off as the State government has not issued Commitment Letter to the Centre. The Centre had recommended departmental expansion at two medical colleges in 2016. Had the process been expedited, it would have helped address the shortage of clinical psychologists the State is reeling under.
The two colleges earmarked to offer the programme were: Madurai Medical College (MMC) and Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). However, Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Welfare Dr Beela Rajesh told TNIE that she had no information about the 'provisional recommendation' given for the course at Madurai and Coimbatore; she said that she would look into the issue.
Members of the Tamil Nadu Association of Clinical Psychologists (TNACP) told TNIE that postgraduate degree holders (MA/MSc in Psychology/Clinical Psychology through regular mode) after the two-year MPhil from institutions recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and possessing licence issued by it become qualified to practise as clinical psychologists.
Minutes of a meeting of the Standing Committee on National Mental Health Programme (NHMP) held on November 3, 2016, indicate the 'provisional recommendation' given by the Centre to Madurai Medical College and Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for the expansion of the department of psychiatry under Scheme-B (scheme for manpower development and strengthening postgraduate departments in mental health specialities). The Centre "provisionally recommended" for support to the two institutions under the Scheme, "subject to availability of State's Commitment Letter" and further recommended officers from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to visit the two colleges "to assess the actual capacity of the department to upgrade under the scheme."
Based on the Centre's (provisional) recommendation, the departments of psychiatry of government medical college hospitals at Madurai and Coimbatore were set for expansion with the start of the courses. The provisions of Scheme-B make a government medical college hospital/State-run mental health institute eligible to apply for one unit of Psychiatry (Two MD seats per year), one unit of Clinical Psychology (Eight MPhil seats per year), one unit of Psychiatric Social Work (Eight MPhil seats per year) and one unit of Psychiatric Nursing (20 Diploma in Paediatric Nursing seats per year).
Accordingly, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and Madurai Medical College were provisionally recommended to begin one new unit each in Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Social Work and Psychiatric Nursing and one additional unit of Psychiatry with the eligibility to avail of Rs 2.87 crore each (Rs 2 crore each for academic facility, furnishing and equipment, and Rs 87.4 lakh each for faculty engagement). However, despite a series of correspondences between the medical colleges and the Directorate of Medical Education over the years, the proposals for the expansion of the department was put on hold.
Only four institutes -- National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment), Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre and the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) -- are recognised by the RCI to offer the programme. All these institutes are in Chennai.
Earlier this year, in August, the RCI denied extension of approval for the course for the academic year 2019-20 to the IMH in Kilpauk. The reasons cited were inadequate technical staff strength and deficiency in the number of clinical services. Director of IMH Dr P Poorna Chandrika, who expressed hopes about resumption of the course next academic year, said that the deficiencies pointed out by the RCI were being rectified.