India, Sept. 6 -- Patients with severe mental health conditions in Maharashtra are being forced to travel hundreds of kilometres for admission as none of the state's 32 district hospitals has a functional 10-bed inpatient psychiatric unit mandated under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP).

The shortfall is adding to the burden on the four regional mental hospitals (RMHs) in Pune, Thane, Nagpur and Ratnagiri, while families face long journeys, higher costs and difficulty securing admission when patients' conditions worsen.

"We have to strengthen the comprehensive mental health programme, activate indoor facilities and expand outreach. People come from far-off places, even 500 kilometres away. Treatment at the primary level and ea...