Nepal’s only dedicated mental hospital is stretched beyond capacity

Officials complain of shortages of beds, manpower and funding are limiting care capacity.

The corridor of the adolescent ward is long. The chipped walls are painted mint green, what looks like a weak attempt to make the space more cheerful. The doors to the rooms are cracked open, revealing rows of beds. Some patients have family members surrounding them, mothers and fathers sitting at the foot of the mattress or on the benches beside it. Other patients are alone. They lie curled on sagging mattresses, thin blankets tossed over them, watching the fan spin circles above them. Across the hall is the art room, splashed in stickers and bright colours. There are sketch pads and markers and colouring books for the children to play with.