Antara (hospital)

Antaragram (or Antara) is a noted mental health institution located in the outskirts of Kolkata, India. It is operated by the Antara Society. Antara was established in 1980 by a group of like minded psychiatrists and other mental health professionals.^[1]

Organisation and administration

Antaragram is operated by the charitable trust Antara. Prior to the establishment of Antara, the group of founders including Satrujit Dasgupta, R B Davis, P M John, and B Andrew along with Mother Teresa and Mars Thomas Church Centre operated an Outpatient Psychiatric Unit in a general hospital in 1971. Next year, the group provided residential facilities to mentally ill patients. From 1982 onwards, a need arose to cater to a much larger patient population. Land was purchased in the outskirts of Kolkata to establish the larger Mental Health Hospital. The site was called Antaragram. The foundation stone was laid by Mother Teresa in 1982.^[1][2]

Departments

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatric Social Work
• Occupational Therapy
• Psychiatric Nursing
• Hospital Administration

Services offered

• Out-patient Psychiatric Consultation
• In-Patient Psychiatric Consultation
• Psychological Therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Day Treatment Program
• Satellite Outpatient Department

Controversy and criticisms

Involuntary admission of female patient

In January, 2013, Times of India reported that a female individual was sent to Antara because she alleged that her family member molested her. The institution admitted her without her consent. The treating psychiatrist was Dr. Payal Roy.^[3] Another psychiatrist who previously saw the individual commented:

For any adult who needs treatment for mental health has to be admitted according to the guidelines under the Mental Health Act 1987. The admission cannot be done against the consent of the person

— Dr. Jai Ranjan Ram, Consultant Psychiatrist, Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata, Times of India

References

External links

• Antara (Official Website)
• Antara Twitter Feed
• Antara Facebook Page
• Antara involvement in 1999 court case of Illegal Detention

Mental Healthcare in India Psychiatric hospitals and Other In-Patient Units National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, New Delhi Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi State Mental Health Institute, Uttarakhand IHBAS, New Delhi Antara, Kolkata PGIMER, Chandigarh Yerwada Mental Hospital, Pune Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Karnataka Mon, Kolkata Lumbini Park Mental Hospital, Kolkata Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, Kolkata Berhampore Mental Hospital, Kolkata Purulia Mental Hospital, Kolkata Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata Mental Hospital, Varanasi Mental Hospital, Indore Mental Health Organisations Center for Advocacy in Mental Health (funded by Bapu Trust) AASRA Lifeline Foundation Vandrevala Foundation Manas Mon Foundation The Banyan Anjali ARDSI SCARF, India Mental Health Professional Associations Indian Association for Social Psychiatry Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) Indian Association of Private Psychiatry (IAPP) Indian Association of Clinical Psychology (IACP) Indian Academy of Applied Psychology National Academy Of Psychology, India Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Mental Health Journals Indian Journal of Psychiatry (IJP), Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine (IJPM) Mens Sana Monographs Journal of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (JIACAM) Key People Bhargavi Davar (Bapu Trust) Aniruddh Kala (Founder of IAPP) Shekhar Sheshadri (Professor) Ajai Singh (Psychiatrist, Writer) Alok Sarin (Psychiatrist, Activist) Indira Sharma (Former President, IPS) Jai Ranjan Ram (Consultant Psychiatrist) T S S Rao (Editor, IJP) Nimesh Desai (Professor) Achal Bhagat (Psychiatrist, Activist) Controversy & Criticism Ervadi Tragedy Political abuse of psychiatry in India Covert medication