Annual Report 2022

Editorial Team

Dr. B.A.O. Wijewickrama (Deputy Director)

Dr. Thanuja Gunasekara (MO-Planing)

Mr. Ashan Basnayake (Occupational Therapist-Media Unit)

Data Compilation Team (Media Unit)

Dr. Kavinda de Silva

Ms. K.D C.K. Migunthanna

Mr. Lakmal Jayabuddhi

©National Institute of Mental Health, Sri Lanka

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

MINISTRY OF HEALTH SRI LANKA

Mulleriyawa New Town

Telephone: 0112578234 to 7

Fax: 0112578238

Email: info@nimh.health.gov.lk

Web: http://nimh.health.gov.lk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NIMH.Angoda

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NationalInstituteofMentalHealthSriLanka

NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH HELPLINE - 1926

Our Mission

To provide comprehensive and evidence based mental health services appropriate to the local context through state-of-the-art approaches to client care, capacity building, advocacy, community engagement, multi-sector collaboration and research delivered by competent and reliable staff

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) was established in 1926 and it is one of the oldest hospitals in South Asia. At present, it is the largest tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka caring for clients with mental illness. The former Mental Hospital was upgraded to a National Institute in 2008. The Halfway Home, Mulleriyawa (HWH) and the School of Nursing, Mulleriyawa are also under the administration of NIMH since 2008.

The NIMH has a total of around 1409 beds and annually around 7000 clients are admitted seeking treatment for all types of mental illness. NIMH provides acute care, intermediate care and long-term care as well as specialized services. There are about 1200 inward clients treated at NIMH on any given day.

The NIMH is the main training center in Sri Lanka for undergraduate and post-graduate trainees in Psychiatry from Medical and Allied fields and provide for basic and in-service training for health staff as well. All postgraduate trainees in MD Psychiatry undergo a compulsory training for a minimum period of six months at the NIMH.

The NIMH has a strength of 1198 full-time staff. The top administration of NIMH comprises of a Director and a Deputy Director who oversee the affairs of NIMH via the Planning & Development Unit, Administration Department, and Finance Department & Sectional Head Offices. As of 31st December, 2022, NIMH had 10 Consultant Psychiatrists, 2 Consultant Physicians, a Consultant Haematologist, 79 Grade Medical Officers and 3 Dental Surgeons. There are 5 Special Grade Nursing Officers, 6 Ward Sisters & 3 Ward Masters, 415 other Grade Nursing Officers, 10 Occupational Therapists, 7 Pharmacists, 6 MLTs, 9 Psychiatric Social Workers (For the full cadre details please refer Annexures I: Cadre Details of NIMH)