More on mental health

Some laudable measures are being taken on mental health. But they are not enough.

Amid growing calls for prioritisation of mental wellbeing, Nepal’s health authorities are planning to upgrade mental health services in at least two (yet to be named) hospitals. The goal is to ensure private consultation rooms where patients can talk fearlessly without being overheard, where trained psychiatrists and nurses can treat the patients with special care, and to arrange necessary medications at hospitals. This is welcome as Nepal not only lacks hospitals that provide specialised or basic mental health care, but even those that offer such care often don’t have an environment conducive to the needs of the patients, including separate rooms and privacy. Private consultation rooms can help bring a sea change as social stigma, entrenched discrimination and humiliation are major barriers to seeking mental health care in Nepal.