Mental Health Care Service Inadequate: Experts

[Khushboo]

Though the government has declared free primary health care for the people, the service is insufficient and lacks proper human resources and facilities, experts said on Tuesday.

Numerous patients across the nation are in need of mental health care service, but the government has not prioritised the service, they said at the inauguration of a two-day national symposium on 'Strengthening psychiatric epidemiology and primary mental health care in Nepal'.
The programme was jointly organised by Manamohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences and University of Calgary, Canada.

Dr Nirakar Man Shrestha, senior consultant Psychiatrist and former health secretary, said the number of mental heath care experts is limited together with the lack of proper facilities and resources, and the country has failed to meet the increasing needs of mental health care treatment.
Started first at Bir Hospital with psychiatric unit in 1963, the mental health service was later established at the Mental hospital in Lagankhel and beside this there is no other mental hospital in the country, Shrestha said. Merely five have psychiatric units until now out of the total government hospitals.

Of 17 medical colleges in the country, only two conduct MD psychiatric programme. There are 42 psychiatrists, seven clinic nurses and 30 psychiatrist nurses in the country, he said, adding that the nation has no occupational therapist.

"We have the crunch of human resources and the national budget for mental health care is just 0.02 per cent," Shrestha said, adding many mental patients are forced to live without any treatment or in the lack of free medication in governmental hospitals, many patients drop-out or many go to relapse. The medication should generally be continued throughout life.

Mental illness is associated with the society, as the country is going through conflict and transition period with depression and mental problems being rampant, said Sashi Shrestha, State Minister for Health and Population.

"As mental health is perceived superstitiously in the country, it has overshadowed the treatment process," she said, adding unless mental patients get proper treatment, the dream to make a new Nepal may not be achieved.