The first person to have a psychiatric procedure in Mumbai, and possibly in all of India, since the Mental Healthcare Act was implemented in 2017 was an Australian woman, 38, who had been fighting depression for 26 years.
The new Act states that a psychosurgery can only be performed following the patient's informed agreement and the approval of a specially created state mental health board. A hospital board used to consider similar proposals in the past.
For the Australian patient, it took 10 months from the time she first contacted neurosurgeon Paresh Doshi to the time she underwent surgery on May 28.
"Maharashtra has not only been ahead of many other states in setting up a mental health board, it has now become the first to give permission for a surgery," said Doshi, who performed the surgery at Jaslok Hospital.
“Maharashtra and Karnataka are the only states where DBS surgeries have been regularly conducted for depression in the past. This time, too, Maharashtra responded quickly by constituting a board and evaluating the Australian patient’s application,” said Dr Swapnil Lele, director of health services in Maharashtra.
The patient, who wished to remain anonymous, has battled depression for 26 years and has experimented with numerous antidepressant and therapy combinations. Despite having occupational therapy training, she stopped trying for a job seven years ago. According to her brother, she had tried 20 different antidepressants and was given at least five medications in much higher amounts than typical. She had also had cognitive behavioral therapy and ECT, both of which had been ineffective.
“During DBS surgery, the patient is awake so that we can map responses while placing the electrodes,” said Dr Doshi. During the procedure, he said, the patient's anxiety greatly decreased and her mood marginally improved. The doctor predicted that it would take a few months before the surgery's results became obvious.
