All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda

The Department of Psychiatry started functioning after the inauguration of the outpatient services at AIIMS, Bathinda w.e.f. 23-12-2020. The manpower at the time of inception of psychiatry OPD consisted of two faculty members namely Dr. Jitender Aneja, Associate Professor, and Dr. Bharat Udey, Assistant Professor. Dr. Jawahar Singh has joined the department on 30th August 2021.

Department aims to provide and practice the best available evidence-based mental health care services to reduce morbidity and mortality due to different mental health problems. We are also investing our knowledge in research alongside extending our collaboration with other departments to explore and expand our understanding of various psychiatric disorders. We are empowering students by imparting the most recent knowledge and training them in different aspects of mental health problems and their management.

Currently, AIIMS Bathinda is providing OPD and Day Care Treatment Services. In the coming future Department of Psychiatry is going to start inpatient and 24 hours’ Psychiatric Emergency services. The OPD services are available on all working days (except Sundays and governmental holidays)

Clinical Services:

Broadly we are catering to children, adolescents, adults, and elderly patients with psychological issues or psychiatric disorders, substance use disorders, and sexual disorders. In our outdoor clinic, we are serving patients with common mental disorders, severe mental illness, psychosomatic disorders, stress-related problems, childhood disorders, geriatric problems, substance use disorders, marital and psychosexual disorders, etc. We are seeing new patients as well as referred patients from other departments of AIIMS Bathinda and outside. We are providing pharmacotherapy, and psychological testing (presently limited), and therapies like psychoeducation, behavioural therapy, psychotherapy, abreaction treatments, and teaching various relaxation exercises.

Tele-psychiatry Services: Tele-Psychiatry services is being used for outreach clinical services. It was started during COVID19 pandemic to provide continuum of care for the patients who were unable to avail care at hospital due to nationwide lockdown or temporarily suspension of the OPD services. The department of psychiatry, AIIMS Bathinda is continuing these services for the outreach patients till date as per the national tele psychiatry guidelines of MOHFW (INDIA).

Location in hospital

OPD building, B-Block first floor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, Punjab.

Courses offered

The Department of Psychiatry is at the forefront of medical education. As the institute is in the initial phase of development with currently existing courses for MBBS, Department is committed to the training of undergraduates. Psychiatry is taught during 6-8 semesters of MBBS. Students get clinical posting to learn skills and knowledge is transferred in didactic lectures. The main aim of the training is to impart the basic understanding of different psychiatric illnesses, their diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The department is also actively involved in the teaching of the nursing officers which includes a weekly lecture on different aspects of basic psychiatric illnesses and nursing care of patients with mental health problems and psychiatric emergencies.

Major Equipment available

Modified-Electroconvulsive Therapy (m-ECT)- The Department of Psychiatry has recently started m-ECT services at AIIMS Bathinda. ECT is administered under anaesthesia with a muscle relaxant, it is being given three times per week until the patient gets the desired improvement in the psychiatric illness of interest. It is administered by a team of trained medical professionals that includes a psychiatrist, an anesthesiologist, and a nurse or health assistant. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions like severe depression (when accompanied by suicidal ideation/refusal to eat), treatment-resistant depression, severe mania, catatonia, agitation, and aggression secondary to psychiatric illness.