Jaipur, July 31 — Rajasthan has introduced a web-based assessment tool designed to enable scientific identification of mental health disorders, providing instant diagnostic reports and specialist consultations through telemedicine as part of a broader push to strengthen mental healthcare services.

Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said the state government has taken a significant step toward improving early detection and treatment of mental health conditions through a technology-driven system. The initiative follows Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s Budget announcement to launch the ‘Raj Mamta’ programme under the ‘Mental Health for All’ campaign, aimed at preventing depression, anxiety and suicide.

Principal Secretary of the Medical and Health Department, Gayatri Rathore, said the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT), a structured web-based digital platform, will initially be implemented at Jaipur Medical College, Jodhpur Medical College and AIIMS Jodhpur under the Raj Mamta programme. The tool is expected to support timely, evidence-based identification of mental health conditions, facilitating early intervention and expanding access to specialist care.

A high-level meeting involving representatives from the Medical and Health Department, Unicef and the University of Manchester was held to discuss implementation. Rathore emphasised that timely identification and treatment of mental health conditions has become a growing public health priority.

GMHAT guides healthcare providers through a standardised patient interview using predefined questions. Once the assessment is completed, the system automatically generates a detailed report that helps clinicians identify potential conditions and determine appropriate treatment pathways. Patients requiring specialist input will be able to consult psychiatrists immediately via telemedicine, reducing the need for travel from remote and rural areas.

The digital platform will also support data-driven monitoring of mental health trends across the state. It is designed to assess the prevalence, severity and geographical distribution of disorders, enabling the government to plan and allocate services according to local needs.

Rathore noted that the previous absence of a standardised assessment tool had often delayed the identification of mental health conditions. GMHAT is intended to close this gap by providing a uniform and scientific screening mechanism. The tool will be rolled out in phases, beginning with the three institutions named above, before expanding to all districts of Rajasthan.

Senior officials present at the meeting included Kathryn Robinson and Vimal Sharma from the University of Manchester; Anil Agrawal, Health Specialist at Unicef Rajasthan; S.M. Swami, State Nodal Officer of the National Mental Health Programme; and Rashmi Gupta and Monica Singh from the Directorate of Medical Education.

The phased introduction of GMHAT is expected to make mental healthcare services across Rajasthan more accessible, efficient and evidence-based, aligning clinical practice with the state’s stated goal of extending mental health support to all sections of the population.

Jaipur, July 31 — Rajasthan has introduced a web-based assessment tool designed to enable scientific identification of mental health disorders, providing instant diagnostic reports and specialist consultations through telemedicine as part of a broader push to strengthen mental healthcare services.

Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar said the state government has taken a significant step toward improving early detection and treatment of mental health conditions through a technology-driven system. The initiative follows Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s Budget announcement to launch the ‘Raj Mamta’ programme under the ‘Mental Health for All’ campaign, aimed at preventing depression, anxiety and suicide.

Principal Secretary of the Medical and Health Department, Gayatri Rathore, said the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool (GMHAT), a structured web-based digital platform, will initially be implemented at Jaipur Medical College, Jodhpur Medical College and AIIMS Jodhpur under the Raj Mamta programme. The tool is expected to support timely, evidence-based identification of mental health conditions, facilitating early intervention and expanding access to specialist care.

A high-level meeting involving representatives from the Medical and Health Department, Unicef and the University of Manchester was held to discuss implementation. Rathore emphasised that timely identification and treatment of mental health conditions has become a growing public health priority.

GMHAT guides healthcare providers through a standardised patient interview using predefined questions. Once the assessment is completed, the system automatically generates a detailed report that helps clinicians identify potential conditions and determine appropriate treatment pathways. Patients requiring specialist input will be able to consult psychiatrists immediately via telemedicine, reducing the need for travel from remote and rural areas.

The digital platform will also support data-driven monitoring of mental health trends across the state. It is designed to assess the prevalence, severity and geographical distribution of disorders, enabling the government to plan and allocate services according to local needs.

Rathore noted that the previous absence of a standardised assessment tool had often delayed the identification of mental health conditions. GMHAT is intended to close this gap by providing a uniform and scientific screening mechanism. The tool will be rolled out in phases, beginning with the three institutions named above, before expanding to all districts of Rajasthan.

Senior officials present at the meeting included Kathryn Robinson and Vimal Sharma from the University of Manchester; Anil Agrawal, Health Specialist at Unicef Rajasthan; S.M. Swami, State Nodal Officer of the National Mental Health Programme; and Rashmi Gupta and Monica Singh from the Directorate of Medical Education.

The phased introduction of GMHAT is expected to make mental healthcare services across Rajasthan more accessible, efficient and evidence-based, aligning clinical practice with the state’s stated goal of extending mental health support to all sections of the population.