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Description

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The hospital has a bed strength of 1800 beds in 25 wards situated in 25 acres of land with rich vegetation Many of the wards built during British period The hospital is built on cottages type of architectureEach ward will have admission block where newly admitted and acutely disturbed patients are lodged Usually admission block is kept under lock and key to prevent patients from running away from the wardApart from admission there will be few improved blocks where the improved patients are housed These blocks are generally kept open during the day time to facilitate the patients to attend recreational activities and occupational therapy An attendant will be posted to each block in the ward and he is expected to stay near the block all the time to attend to the needs of the patients

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History

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Institute of Mental Health Chennai is involved in Mental Health care for the past 206 Years Founded in 1794 as an asylum to manage 20 patients it has grown into an Institute with bed strength of 1800 patients It is no more an asylum for custodial care but a place for enhancing mental health and a training centre for mental health professionals Today Institute of Mental Health is the second largest Institute in India offering mental health services to a massive population of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry

The Institute is served by an army of trained professionals Psychiatrists Psychiatric Social Workers Clinical Psychologists Occupational Therapists Recreational Therapists Special Education Teacher Skilled Training Staff apart from Psychiatric Nurses are functioning in coordination with each other contributing their own specific body of knowledge and skills to the benefit of mentally ill