Kolkata's Iswar Sankalpa boards auto to run UMHP campaign

Kolkata-based non-profit organisation Iswar Sankalpa has engaged autorickshaws running in the vicinity of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) wards Ekbalpore and Chetla to build public awareness of mental health. The initiative is aligned with the Urban Mental Health Programme (UMHP) that the organisation is associated with.

Sarbani Das Roy, Secretary of Iswar Sankalpa, Kolkata, explained, "We are giving free medication to the mentally ill patients. To spread public awareness of mental health and in particular the UMHP intervention we have engaged a few autos plying in the nearby routes and pasted banners on the back of those vehicles. Through the creatives we have tried to communicate that there is'No Health Without Mental Health'- which is in fact the slogan of WHO (World Health Organisation). In the near future we would like to increase the volume of such campaigns.”

Dr Abhiruchi Chatterjee, Psychiatrist of Iswar Sankalpa, who himself created the creative for the campaign, said, "We thought of rolling out an innovative outdoor campaign having a pictorial depiction of problems like depression or psychosis with the message written both in Bengali and Hindi. As the routes covered are in the vicinity of South Kolkata from Rashbehari to Behala and Ekbalpore to Khidirpore, we are getting good feedback from people.”

Gunjan Chandak Khemka, Project Manager -- Urban Mental Health Programme, Iswar Sankalpa, added, "The auto campaign aims to communicate the message of mental well being among the masses. We took up a medium for the campaign that is easily accessible; a certain level of curiosity has been aroused.”

"We plan to run this campaign till March 2015 and are planning to increase the number of autos soon,” she said.

Iswar Sankalpa has further plans to run this campaign on'no parking' boards and cycle rickshaws as a part of the awareness campaign for UMHP.