Psychiatry Notes - First Psychaitric Hospital In India

It is worthwhile to trace the beginning of general hospital psychiatry in India, my country.
During the early decades of the 20th century a movement was initiated, first in the USA and then in the UK to improve the quality of care for mental illness and to disseminate knowledge about mental health amongst the masses. In order to organize this movement a National Committee for Mental Hygiene was established in the USA in 1909. This was followed by the formation of a Mental Hygiene Council in the UK in 1923. The educated and the enlightened people of all walks of life were enrolled as members of these organizations. The impact of their activities was felt on the shores of India very soon. On active encouragement from the Mental Hygiene Council (UK), the Indian Association for Mental Hygiene came into being at Simla on 23rd August 1928. The membership of the association was open to all who subscribed to its aims and objectives and participated in all activities towards their implementation. Lt. Col. Owen Berkeley – Hill, Superintendent of the then European Lunatic Asylum, Ranchi (now known as Central Institute of Psychiatry) was elected as its first President. The aims and objectives of the association, as attributed by its President, were as follows –

To disseminate the knowledge about mental hygiene amongst masses

To organize meetings, seminars and popular lectures on mental health and mental illnesses

To establish a library for storing and distributing books on mental health and allied disciplines

Publication of a quarterly Bulletin of the Association

Establishment of treatment centers for mental illnesses.

The Calcutta Chapter of the Association was opened sometime in late 1929. Dr. Girindra Sekhar Bose, who was the Founder President of Indian Psychoanalytical Society (established in 1922) and the then head of Department of Psychology, Calcutta University was a leading member of the Association at Kolkata. The Calcutta Chapter, under the leadership of Dr. Bose, took an active part in implementing the rather ambitious plan of the Association. From a small beginning (with five founder members) this subcommittee of the Association grew in size rapidly. In course of less than four years, by the beginning of 1933, its membership rose to 264.

The Calcutta Chapter arranged a monthly popular lecture on mental health delivered by a leading scholar of the city. It became so popular and attractive that, on public demand, the monthly event soon became a weekly event.

Emboldened by this favorable public response, the Association decide to establish a home for the Mentally Retarded for their custody, care, and training. Support in the form of money, land and voluntary expert service came readily and the Home was established on 24th April, 1932. The name of the Home – BODHANA NIKETAN – was coined by none other than the Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.

The next step taken by the Association was the opening of a psychiatric outpatient clinic in a general hospital. The far-reaching impact of this act outlived the association itself. The State Government was approached for assistance in this endeavor. It was proposed by the Association that adequate room be made available in the Calcutta Medical College (a state-run institution) for the Clinic. The initial response was positive, but very soon it was made clear by the Government that the time was not yet ripe for it. Thereupon, the Association, under the leadership of Dr. Girindra Sekhar Bose, persuaded the authority of Carmichael Medical College, Calcutta – then run by a non-profit-making private organization – to allow it to open a psychiatric outpatient clinic in the college premises (this private college was taken over by the State Government in free India). It was agreed that the Association would pay for the expenses of the clinic. The College authority, however, lent some furniture and arranged for supply of free electricity. Dr. Bose made an advance of Rs. 867.50/- to defray the cost of furnishing the Clinic and purchasing some essential instruments. Thus the stage was set for opening the doors of the first psychiatric OPD clinic in a general hospital in India.
The first department of psychiatry with outpatient facility in a general hospital in India was opened on 1st May 1933 at the then Carmichael Medical College (now known as R. G. Kar Medical College). Kolkata. In 1938, the outpatient facility of Department of Psychiatry of J.J. Hospital, Mumbai was opened.A department of Neurology and Psychiatry was established in the Calcutta Medical College in 1939 by an order of the Government of Bengal.

A few interesting details about this Clinic-

The working hours of the Clinic was between 8-00 AM and 10-00 AM on every Tuesday and Thursday. The MO-in-Charge was Dr. Girindra Sekhar Bose. He had two other M.O.’s to assist him. They were Dr. Bhupati Mohan Ghosh and Dr. Kamakhya Charan Mukherjee. All the members of the staff worked on honorary basis. The sole exception was a part-time bearer who received a monthly pay of Rs. 2/- (Rupees Two only).

Though the OPD clinic was opened on 1st May, 1933 the first patient was registered on the following day i.e. 2nd May, 1933. The original case record of this patient is still preserved and displayed on the wall of the chamber of the Head of the Dept. of Psychiatry of R.G. Kar Medical College.

It is on record that 174 new cases attended the clinic during the first year of its existence. It is gratifying to note that this clinic is not only the first of its kind but is still one of the most thriving centers of service, teaching and research in Psychiatry in Kolkata.