The Maharashtra government is set to launch full-fledged teaching institutes at four regional mental health hospitals, aiming to bolster mental healthcare services and tackle the shortage of trained professionals. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that this initiative is a human-centric approach to enhance access to quality mental healthcare for vulnerable populations. The selected hospitals are located in Yerawada (Pune), Thane, Ratnagiri, and Nagpur, collectively housing approximately 5,700 patients. The Regional Mental Hospital in Yerawada, one of the largest in the state, has a capacity of 2,540 patients and serves multiple districts. This transformation will improve treatment quality, promote research, and develop a skilled workforce in mental health. The initiative is part of the National Mental Health Programme's efforts to create a larger pool of trained psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurses. Academic programs like MD psychiatry and MPhil courses have already been initiated, with Nagpur's MD psychiatry program admitting four students annually since its launch. Diploma courses in psychiatric nursing have also been introduced, further enhancing educational opportunities in the field.