Simmi Waraich

Psychiatrist, Bird watcher. Write, Read, otherwise common enough.

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@SandhuKanwar @IndianExpress Agree. Though the killer of Beant Singh shd not have been depicted in this way. Guns & bullets were glorified by both militants &the police those days.. strangely ‘cos the police were supposed protectors of the rule of law. The unlimited powers given to them boomeranged!

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal Plus you’re not talking about how militants became so powerful! Bhindranwale didn’t get arms initially from Pakistan. Where did arms come into the Golden temple. Who made him so powerful. Police has a choice. I know policemen who chose better. Just diversion tactics from u sadly

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal heard ur comments too. They wr not appropriate for a serious journalist. U cannot say- Jats chittar de yaar ne!!” It’s like an American policeman generalising that all Black Americans deserve to get a beating& no single person should go missing. Ure not giving a balanced view!

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal Guys let’s call a truce. And agree to disagree. Hartosh can oppose Modi without opposing KPSGill. Rest of you can oppose KPS Gill. It’s fine. Let’s not be so adversarial.

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@BharatJ11021052 @HartoshSinghBal Sweetheart half of this were killed by RAW guys from Indian govt. Grow up

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal Btw Bhindranwale was a madman. But KPS Gill and Sumedh Singh Saini were further ahead as terrorists who killed and tortured many. Sad to see you Defending them. Jaswant Singh Khalra fires not need you.

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal There were students killed in Thapar college Patiala? I recall waking up with a feeling of death! Who caused it? Indira Gandhi directly. So does it mean Khalra s story should not be told? What is the connection?

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal Satluj is well balanced in showing police wrongs. A Story worth telling to heal. U r doing a disservice to all killed wrongly& all the work Khalra and Kumar did. I hav a friend who escaped the police thru luck. She’s filed a case on Sumedh Saini! U don’t know those times, perhaps

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@HartoshSinghBal Do u know there was a RAW guy implanted in Bhindranwales inner team? many believe Ram was born in Ayodhya while there is no evidence Ramayana took place in India. Still u have the right to believe. But u don’t have the right to kill innocents. Still,U have a right to your opinion

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@ajay36mittal @HoneyTrehan It’s amusing. Is kidnapping a person &killing him justified?Many people have opinions. Indira Gandhi did order an attack on the Golden Temple after causing the entire Punjab problem. She made Bhindranwale what he was. Know your facts at least. Many saw her as responsible for all

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

@gswaraich6 @SandhuTaranjitS It’s very strange how he joined the BJP. Totally unaware of the ground reality in Punjab. !

[Om Prakash, MD @ompsychiatrist]

Let’s Stop Taxing Mental Health Medicines

Why 0% GST on antidepressants and antipsychotics is a necessary reform
By Dr. Om Prakash @ompsychiatrist, Senior Psychiatrist, Delhi

Every week, I meet patients who want to stop their psychiatric medicines—not because they’re cured, but because they can’t afford them anymore.

One woman in her 40s recently told me, “Doctor saab, I feel better now, but these medicines are too expensive. Can I stop them for a while?” Her treatment—an antidepressant and a mood stabilizer—costs her over ₹2,000 a month. She’s a single mother. That money could feed her family for a week.

Stories like hers are common. And they reveal something serious: mental health care in India is still unaffordable for many.

Mental Illness Is Common—and Often Untreated

In India, over 45 million people live with depression. Millions more suffer from anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance use problems. Almost 1 in 4 adolescents shows symptoms of depression. Many people don’t seek help because of stigma or shame. But even when they do, cost becomes the next big barrier.

Mental health treatment often involves long-term medication. Medicines like risperidone, used for schizophrenia, or fluoxetine, an antidepressant, are essential. But they are not cheap—especially for patients who need them every day, often for years. Many families pay out of pocket, as these medicines are not always covered by government schemes or insurance.

The Role of GST—and Why It Matters

Currently, most psychiatric medicines are taxed at 5% under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). That may seem small, but it adds up—especially for patients with limited means.

In September 2025, the GST Council reduced tax on many medicines from 12% to 5%—a welcome step. Some life-saving drugs, like those for cancer and rare diseases, were made GST-free. It’s time we consider doing the same for psychotropic medicines—those that treat mental health conditions.

Why 0% GST on Mental Health Medicines Makes Sense

Removing GST from antipsychotics and antidepressants would:
👉Lower medicine costs by 5–12%
👉Improve adherence to treatment
👉Reduce relapses, hospitalizations, and suicides

Encourage early help-seeking, especially among low-income and rural populations

Mental illness doesn’t just affect the mind—it affects families, livelihoods, and lives. And medicines are a vital part of healing.

Other Countries Are Already Doing This

Many nations have already removed taxes on essential mental health medicines:
👉The Philippines exempts them under the CREATE Act.
👉The UK and Ireland apply zero VAT on all prescription drugs.
👉Most U.S. states do not charge sales tax on prescription medicines, including those for mental health.

India, as the “pharmacy of the world,” supplies 40% of global generic medicines. We should lead the way in making these medicines affordable at home too.

Small Fiscal Cost, Big Public Health Gain

Some worry about revenue loss. But the public health benefits far outweigh the minimal tax revenue from Schedule H1 drugs (which include most psychiatric medications). This reform would support the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which promises affordable mental health care to all, and strengthen schemes like Ayushman Bharat.

Let’s Put Mental Health on Equal Footing

We don’t tax insulin for diabetes or chemotherapy for cancer. Mental health medications are no less essential. They help students stay in school, adults keep their jobs, and families stay together.

Making these medicines GST-free is not just a tax change—it’s a statement: that India values mental health as much as physical health.

As a psychiatrist who sees the reality on the ground every day, I respectfully offer this suggestion through the proper channels. I hope policymakers will consider this small but powerful step toward a more inclusive, mentally healthy India.

[Gurshamshir Singh @gswaraich6]

Punjab has always extended help to other states during natural calamities, but now, in its own floods, no state has come forward. silence of BJP-led @narendramodi government reflects the continued discrimination against Punjab."
Giyani Raghbir Singh, head granthi Darbar Sahib

[Gill Braulik @GillBraulik]

Super news! The Indus River #dolphin is now a protected species in India. Previously it was not protected as it was only discovered in 2007 & it was previously a subspecies. <10 animals remain in India in the Beas River @WWFINDIA @GitanjaliKanwar https://t.co/6RhBi6an2I

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

This is the time. When I went missing on your borders. I went missing on 3rd December. Along with others.
Maj SPS Waraich, Wg Cdr HS Gill, Maj Suri, Maj Ghosh
You who didn’t have a funeral. You who were forgotten.
The #missingpows #indianarmylovers
#indianarmy
#missinginaction

[Gurshamshir Singh Waraich @gurshamshir]

Interview with Bengali author @cdivakaruni who wrote a book on life & struggle of #MaharaniJinda titled "Last Queen". Author tells that Maharani Jinda is an amazing historical character who inspires us all especially women.
@rupikaur_ @KaurLifeOnline
https://t.co/CbEYs11aQN

[Dr Jhunu Mukherjee, MD( Psy) @JhunuDr]

How #stress cause disease..

[Simmi Waraich @simmiw]

Mental health is equal to physical health. The dichotomy is not needed as all Mental health issues have physical underpinnings in the form of altered brain activity and cellular structures such as mitochondria dysfunction and raised indicator cytokines etc.

[Ramandeep Singh Mann @ramanmann1974]

अग्निवीर स्कीम के तहत 19 साल के अमृतपाल सिंह को 4 दिन पहले उनकी यूनिट में माथे पर गोली लगी थी, दुख की बात है की परिवार अमृतपाल का शव प्राइवेट एंबुलेंस में लाया, फौज का कोई नुमाइंदा नहीं पहुंचा, फौज द्वारा गार्ड ऑफ ऑनर नहीं दिया गया !

क्या अग्निवीर फौजी नहीं, ये भेद भाव क्यों ?