Rinpas helpline provides counselling to patients across country

Ranchi: When 35-year-old Archana (name changed), who had been receiving treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (Rinpas), relocated to Patna a year ago, continuity of care became difficult. After she suffered a relapse four months ago, she worried about restarting regular consultations because travelling to Ranchi was “financially and logistically unviable”. The tele-mental health video-conferencing facility of Rinpas enabled her to resume therapy online, and her condition has shown significant improvement.

Rahul (name changed), who is under treatment at Rinpas for a personality disorder that requires long-term support, faced a similar challenge after moving to Bengaluru for work. Now, he continues sessions online through the same service.

The tele-mental health service, inaugurated in Sept 2025, has catered to around 60 individuals so far. The facility operates under the hospital’s tele-mental health centre. The helpline number (14499) and toll-free number (1800-345-4060) function between 10 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

Dr Rahul Sharma, who handles the helpline, said the centre receives around 25 to 30 calls every month. “Calls come in from rural and urban areas across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and other states,” he said.

He added, “Calls commonly relate to anxiety-related conditions, mood disorders, behavioural problems, substance abuse and personality disorders. Some queries are linked to stress, academic difficulties and excessive screen time, often from students or parents who learned about the service through school sensitisation, orientation or other outreach programmes.”

Head of the department of clinical psychology at Rinpas, Dr Amool Ranjan, said, “The tele-mental health helpline, especially video-conferencing, has been crucial for patients who cannot travel. This facility supports people who cannot afford to visit Rinpas regularly for psychological help. It also helps individuals who previously sought counselling at Rinpas but moved to other cities and wish to continue their treatment.”

“The helpline serves both existing and new clients. The regular patients can continue their counselling online through the helpline number. New patients also reach out to us through the helpline and, based on their requirement, they are either provided online counselling or referred to the Rinpas OPD for further help,” he added.

The helpline also answers queries on admission and discharge facilities, old-age pension scheme, disability certification and academic courses or internships at Rinpas.