Central Institute of Psychiatry

Region: Jharkhand Country: India

The Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi is a Government of India institution and only of its nature in eastern India. The British established this hospital on 17th May 1918 with the name of Ranchi European Lunatic Asylum. It had then a capacity of 174 patients (92 male and 82 female). It catered to the needs of the European mental patients only and it was under the direct control and management of Government of Bihar.

In 1922, it was put under the control of a Board of Trustees with various participating state governments represented in the Board and in the very same year its name was changed to European Mental Hospital. The year 1922 is also notable for the fact that the Institute was affiliated to the University of London for the Diploma in Psychological Medicine examination. It was a unique phenomenon since the postgraduate training in Psychiatry was nonexistent in India in those days.

Timeline
The first Occupational Therapy Department in 1922,
ECT in 1943,
Psychosurgery and Neurosurgery in 1947,
Clinical psychology and Electroencephalography (EEG) departments in 1948,a full fledged neuropathology section in 1952, the first use of Lithium in 1952 and chlorpromazine in 1953.
A very modern radiology department with facility for sophisticated cerebral angiography, pneumoencephalography, air ventriculography, myelography etc. was established in 1954.
Child guidance clinic in 1950,
Rural mental health clinic at Mander in 1967,rehabilitation centre and sheltered workshop in 1967, and industrial psychiatry unit at HEC, Ranchi in 1973.

Central Institute of Psychiatry is one of the premier training centers in India for mental health professionals. The erstwhile Hospital for Mental Diseases was recognized for D.P.M. of England in as far back as 1923, when postgraduate courses in Psychiatry were unheard of in India. In 1962, a postgraduate training centre was added to the institute, with D.P.M. and D.M.&S.P. courses. Other courses were added in due course of time, and currently the following postgraduate course in psychiatry and behavioral sciences are conducted at the Institute:

M.D. (Psychiatry)
Diploma in Psychological Medicine
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
M.Phil in Medical & Social Psychology
M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work
Diploma in Psychiatric Nursing

The Institute is affiliated to Ranchi University. Admission to the various courses is through open advertisement in all the leading newspapers. The candidates are selected for admission by a Selection Committee constituted by the Director General of health Services, New Delhi.