New Delhi: In a major step to strengthen mental healthcare services, Safdarjung Hospital — one of India’s largest government-run institutions under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare — has started providing free advanced therapy treatments for patients suffering from severe mental disorders.

The initiative makes Safdarjung Hospital one of the very few government hospitals in the country to offer therapies such as Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy (M-ECT), Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) at no cost.

According to the Department of Psychiatry, these services are typically considered high-end and expensive in the private sector. For instance, a single rTMS session costs between ₹1,500 and ₹3,500 privately, and a full treatment plan of 20–40 sessions may go up to ₹80,000. Even M-ECT procedures are financially out of reach for many patients.

At Safdarjung Hospital, all these therapies will now be available completely free of charge.

A Boost for Patients with Severe Mental Disorders

These therapies are widely used for conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, schizophrenia, and several other serious psychiatric illnesses.
Doctors at the hospital explained that:

rTMS is particularly useful for patients who do not respond to medications. It works by stimulating specific regions of the brain to improve mood and behavioral symptoms.

CBT, a globally preferred psychological therapy, helps patients identify and modify harmful thoughts and behaviors.

M-ECT, when required, provides rapid and effective relief for patients experiencing severe symptoms.

High Footfall, Greater Impact

Safdarjung Hospital’s psychiatry OPD handles thousands of patients every month, many from economically weaker backgrounds who cannot afford advanced therapies elsewhere.

Experts believe that the new initiative will significantly improve access to timely and effective treatment, especially for families struggling with the long-term financial burden of mental illness.

Mental Health Prioritized

Hospital administrators emphasized that mental health is as important as physical health, and public hospitals must ensure that quality treatment is accessible to everyone. They added that combining medicines with therapy, close monitoring, and family support leads to far better outcomes in severe mental illnesses.

With this move, Safdarjung Hospital has strengthened its position as a critical pillar in India’s public healthcare system — delivering advanced treatment, affordability, and hope to thousands of patients every year.