Kathmandu, April 15:

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 today.

Numerous patients 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 have been set up in government hospitals until now.

Of 17 medical colleges, only two conduct MD psychiatric programme. There are 42 psychiatrists, seven clinic nurses and 30 psychiatrist nurses in the country, he said.

“We have the crunch of human resources and the national budget for mental health care is just 0.02 per cent,” Shrestha said.

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.