The Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences is a premier healthcare institution under the Kerala government. (file)
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
The Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) in Kozhikode, a premier mental healthcare centre under the Health department in Kerala, is yet to get a full-time director after the demise of the incumbent P. Krishnakumar in 2025.
The IMHANS is an autonomous institution that has been functioning in areas of mental healthcare delivery, training, research, and policy development. According to sources, though the previous Left Democratic Front government had initiated a process to fill the vacancy, it could not be completed due to various reasons. Applications were invited from qualified persons under the Directorate of Medical Education and the Directorate of Health Services for the post. Even after a change of guard occurred in the State government, the recruitment is in limbo, it is learnt.
Higher officials in the department were not available for comments.
Dr. Krishnakumar, a long-time director of the institute, passed away in January 2025. For around five months, K.G. Sajeeth Kumar, Principal, Government Medical College, Kozhikode, was given the charge. V.P. Jithu, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, has been holding the responsibility thereafter.
Sources said on Thursday that the staff association at the IMHANS has suggested that T.M. Shibu Kumar, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, be appointed to the post. They pointed out that this could benefit the institution as Dr. Shibu Kumar was familiar with its functioning.
Sources said a full-time director was essential to formulate new schemes in the mental healthcare sector and spearhead research initiatives. Patients from nearly all districts in north Kerala rely on the institute for their mental healthcare needs. IMHANS provides outpatient services and runs an autism clinic, besides implementing community mental health programmes, child development services, and rehabilitation projects.
Other than this, the institute offers M.Phil programmes in Psychiatric Social Work, Clinical Psychology and post-basic diploma in psychiatric nursing. M Phil (Psychiatric Social Work) was launched in 2014 and M.Phil (Clinical Psychology) in 2017. A post-basic diploma course in psychiatric nursing is being run since 2014. All these courses were launched for the first time in the government sector in Kerala.
The institute got its own building when Dr. Krishnakumar was at its helm. Recognising the community projects taken up by the institute, the IMHANS was selected by the Union government to be elevated as a centre of excellence in mental health in its 11th plan.
Published – August 13, 2026 02:34 pm IST
