At the request of the Additional Chief Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, SHSRC-Kerala drafted a report for the rebuilding and reconstruction of selected areas of Mental Health Centres in Kerala. As part of the first phase, SHSRC-Kerala selected three major mental health centres for field investigation to prepare the report for modernization. The selected centres were the Mental Health Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur.

During this financial year, the SHSRC-Kerala team visited, investigated, and evaluated the Mental Health Centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, and prepared a report based on the current conditions. The report primarily focused on cost-effective modifications that could be implemented within a short timeframe. It emphasized modernization and improvements to the infrastructure of the centres, including patient living areas, among other aspects. Key recommendations included replacing vertical bar cells with toughened glass cells, increasing roof heights to reduce the risk of patient suicide, renovating recreation areas, and providing skill development opportunities for patients to enable self-sufficiency upon reintegration into society.

The detailed reports for the Mental Health Centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode were submitted to the Additional Chief Secretary. Based on the findings and recommendations of these reports, the Thrissur Mental Health Centre will also be investigated by the SHSRC-Kerala team.

The Kerala Government has already developed a master plan to rebuild all mental health centres in the state. However, prior to the implementation of this long-term plan, short-term renovations will be carried out based on the recommendations outlined in the SHSRC-Kerala report.