Delayed funding hampers KGMU Psychiatry Centre of Excellence
According to the head of the department, Dr Vivek Kumar, KGMU was designated as a Centre of Excellence for psychiatry in Uttar Pradesh, the third of its kind after those in Varanasi and Agra.
Despite a lump sum grant approved by the state in 2016, the department of psychiatry at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) has taken eight years to get its Centre of Excellence up and running. Even now, the department has seen little improvement in terms of academic or infrastructural development.

According to the head of the department, Dr Vivek Kumar, KGMU was designated as a Centre of Excellence for psychiatry in Uttar Pradesh, the third of its kind after those in Varanasi and Agra. These centres are intended to serve as zonal leaders in research and treatment within the discipline. For this initiative, a grant of ₹33 crores was approved by the state. Dr Kumar said, “A part of that grant was released last year. We have begun renovating the department building and made an appointment for a sanctioned post that was vacant until now.”
The first instalment of ₹5 crores was finally cleared and received in 2022, with work commencing in 2023. Dr Kumar expressed hope that acquiring the rest of the grant would not face similar delays. “We were told by the state that the grant papers could not be located. We pursued the state for years before the first ₹5 crores came through,” he said. “Once a grant is cleared, actually receiving the money involves a long process with multiple approvals. Starting work on making this department a Centre of Excellence has been a struggle due to delays in releasing funds.”
The department currently has 36 students, with 12 in each batch. Plans are underway to add courses and seats to accommodate more students and specialties. The first priority will be expanding into post-treatment rehabilitation for patients.
As part of the additions enabled by the first instalment of the grant, an associate professor in social psychiatry has been appointed, bringing the faculty strength to 12 teachers. “We are hoping to increase our capabilities in rehabilitating patients with psychiatric disorders once more of the grant is released. Ideally, the work should be completed in the next two years,” Dr. Kumar explained.
Regarding rehabilitation, he elaborated that patients with conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric disorders may temper their symptoms with medication and treatment, but reintegrating into society remains a challenge. “Recalibrating a social life, including relationships with friends and family, is tough. This is where rehabilitation comes in—therapy and counselling can help patients navigate life after diagnosis,” he said.
