Mental health conference in Agra from Jan 8

Agra, Jan 1 (IANS) More than 3,000 psychiatrists from across the globe are expected to attend the four-day-long 61st national conference on mental health that begins here Jan 8.

The conference - 'Minding Mental Health - New Doctrine of Psychiatry' - organised by the Indian Psychiatric Society, will be held at the Institute of Mental Health and the attached hospital that is one of the oldest and largest in the country. The hospital is celebrating its 150th foundation day this year.

The conference will have at least 35 international speakers, Sudhir Kumar, the organising committee chairman and director of the institute, told IANS.

Apart from delegates from SAARC countries, presidents of psychiatry associations of Britain, the US, Canada, Australia, Russia, Hungary and the head of the World Psychiatry Association are expected to attend the conference.

The experts will discuss the latest techniques and medicines in mental healthcare.

National Human Rights Commission chairman Justice S. Rajendra Babu will inaugurate the conference.

A replica of the Taj Mahal is being installed at the conference venue. It is almost the size of the original marble wonder.

'Participants would be able to move in and out of the Taj replica. It is being created with bamboos, wooden planks, white sheets and will resemble the original,' said a supervisor at the site.