Institute of Mental Health residents, who got married, get jobs as wedding gift from TN Health Minister

The two residents, who fell in love while seeking mental health care, tied the knot on Friday and the wedding reception was hosted at the institute

The Dr. Sarada Menon auditorium of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), Chennai, was in a celebratory mood on Friday. A place that usually hosts official meetings and small get-togethers of residents and staff witnessed history, as for the first time, it hosted the wedding reception of two of its residents -- P. Mahendran and S.M. Deepa.

The two residents, who met at the institute’s daycare centre six months ago, fell in love and decided to get married. They were undergoing treatment at the institute for nearly two years, and improved with treatment.

Weeks after staff of IMH came together to support their wedding, they tied the knot at a temple near the institute on Friday. The institute played the perfect host, ensuring that the couple had it all. From printing wedding invitations to decorating the reception hall, the staff put in place every detail of a wedding.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian greeted the couple on the occasion. As a wedding gift, he went on to present a job appointment order for the couple, who are graduates, enabling them to work as ward managers at the institute for a monthly salary of Rs. 15,000 each on contract basis under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. Till now, Mr. Mahendran, 42, was working at the daycare centre and at a pet clinic in the evening, while Ms. Deepa, 36, was working at RVIVE cafe, a collaborative initiative of IMH and Hot Breads.

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P.K. Sekar Babu, Member of Parliament Dayanidhi Maran and Member of Legislative Assembly A. Vetriazhagan attended the reception and wished the couple. IMH director P. Poorna Chandrika was present.